Gog and Magog - Ezekiel 38 & 39

Gog and Magog - Ezekiel 38 & 39

Introduction

First, it must be pointed out that the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel is not the same as the Gog and Magog of Revelation.
What is commonly referred to as 'Gog and Magog' is, in Ezekiel, Gog of the land of Magog, the Prince of Meshech and Tubal, including other specific nations; whilst in Revelation Gog and Magog are said to be the nations which are in the four corners of the earth (Rev. 20:8), obviously a reference to the whole world.
The passage in Revelation is concerned about the period of time surrounding the release from the thousand year imprisonment of the devil and the subsequent events; whereas the passage in Ezekiel is dealing with the period of time before the tribulation starts, which is at least one thousand and seven years before the passage in Revelation which mentions Gog and Magog. According to Ezekiel it will take seven years to burn the weapons:

9 Those who dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall make fires of the weapons and burn them, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the war clubs, and the spears, and they shall make fires of them seven years;
10 so that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall make fires of the weapons; and they shall plunder those who plundered them, and rob those who robbed them, says the Lord GOD.
Eze. 39:9-10

If the Ezekiel passage was the same as the passage in Revelation then there would be no time, nor need to burn the weapons as it would then be the end of the millennium and the start of eternity, complete with a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1).

Secondly, there is always a real danger of interpreting prophecies in the light of current events — referred to as 'newspaper exegesis'.
I will endeavor to avoid this. However as, I believe, we are close to this prophecy occurring, certain current events will be mentioned but in as broad and general terms as is possible.

The Prophecy

1 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3 and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal:
4 and I will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords;
5 Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
6 Gomer, and all his hordes; the house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north, and all his hordes; even many peoples with you.
7 Be prepared, yes, prepare yourself, you, and all your companies who are assembled to you, and be a guard to them.
8 After many days you shall be visited: in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, on the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought forth out of the peoples, and they shall dwell securely, all of them.
9 You shall ascend, you shall come like a storm, you shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you, and all your hordes, and many peoples with you.
Eze. 38:1-9

The first thing to notice is that exact geographical locations are given (vs. 2, 5-6).
Many commentators are in agreement as to the countries involved; they are: Russia ( Magog being the name given to the general area of modern day Russia), Rosh is specifically Russia, Meshech is Moscow whilst Tubal is Tobolsk. Persia is Iran, Cush is Ethiopia, Put is Somalia (some would say, as do some translations, Lybia), Gomer is in modern day Germany and Togarmah is Armenia.
No Arab countries are mentioned as belonging to the coalition (Iran, although Islamic is not Arab).
The coalition of armies is headed by Gog the leader or prince of Russia and comprising of Russia, Iran, Ethiopia, Somalia (could be Lybia), Germany and Armenia; there could also be other countries involved although the 'even many peoples with you' of verse 6 could be a reference to the vast array of different cultures involved.

The land that will be invaded is the land of Israel - specifically the mountains of Israel:

8 After many days you shall be visited: in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, on the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought forth out of the peoples, and they shall dwell securely, all of them.
Eze. 38:8

It is interesting to note that the mountains of Israel, which stretch from the southern part of the valley of Jezreel at Jenin until, and including the hills surrounding Jerusalem, half way between Hebron and Beersheba, only came into the possession of Israel as a result of the six day war in June of 1967; until then, what is now known as the West Bank was under the control of Jordan (see map).
As can be seen from a more detailed map, the whole of the mountains of Israel are dotted with Jewish settlements as Ezekiel prophesied more than 2,400 years ago.

There are four reasons for the invasion:
First, because God ordains it:

3 and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal:
4 and I will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords;

17 Thus says the Lord GOD: Are you he of whom I spoke in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them?

1 You, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal:
2 and I will turn you about, and will lead you on, and will cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north; and I will bring you on the mountains of Israel;
Eze. 38:3-4, 17; 39:1-2

Second, because the leader (Gog) of Russia wants to plunder Israel:

10 Thus says the Lord GOD: It shall happen in that day, that things shall come into your mind, and you shall devise an evil device:
11 and you shall say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates;
12 to take the spoil and to take the prey; to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered out of the nations, who have gotten cattle and goods, who dwell in the middle of the earth.
Eze. 38:10-12

The third, to take spoil; although not specifically mentioned in the text, it can be deduced from the response of other nations:

13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions of it, shall tell you, Are you come to take the spoil? have you assembled your company to take the prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take great spoil?
Eze. 38:13

It is only Gog that is spoken of as having the idea to plunder and to loot; the other nations that are with him would seem to be unaware of his real intentions and motives. Therefore the other nations have a legitimate, in their eyes, reason to invade Israel, or rather, the mountains of Israel.
The 'legitimate' reason could be that Israel has, once again (sic), done something to which the United Nations objects and therefore the Security Council passes a resolution condemning Israel and demanding that Israel comply. Israel refuses and so a coalition of member States is sent to enforce the U.N. resolution.
Whatever the reasons for the resolution, a coalition is formed and is sent to the mountains of Israel where God destroys all who participate in the invasion:

21 I will call for a sword against him to all my mountains, says the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.
22 With pestilence and with blood will I enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him, and on his hordes, and on the many peoples who are with him, an overflowing shower, and great hailstones, fire, and sulfur.
23 I will magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
1 You, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal:
2 and I will turn you about, and will lead you on, and will cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north; and I will bring you on the mountains of Israel;
3 and I will strike your bow out of your left hand, and will cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand.
4 You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you, and all your hordes, and the peoples who are with you: I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the animals of the field to be devoured.
5 You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken it, says the Lord GOD.
Eze. 38:21-39:5

God also rains down judgement on Russia (Magog):

6 I will send a fire on Magog, and on those who dwell securely in the isles; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze. 39:6

The fourth, as in the first, is because God ordains it; however the emphasis is to show to both the Jewish people and to the nations of the world that God is who He claims to be:

16 .....it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified in you, Gog, before their eyes.

23 I will magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

7 My holy name will I make known in the midst of my people Israel; neither will I allow my holy name to be profaned any more: and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

21 I will set my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from that day and forward.
23 The nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they trespassed against me, and I hid my face from them: so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they fell all of them by the sword.
24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions did I to them; and I hid my face from them.
Eze. 38:16(b), 23; 39:7, 21-24

This prophecy, contained in chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel, is probably the first time since the tower of Babel that the whole world shall see the Glory of God; but, as with the tower of Babel, the people will not necessarily turn in faith. There will of course be some but the vast majority will, although seeing God's mighty hand at work, continue in the hardness of their hearts: There is a difference between knowing that God is God and believing in Him in a trusting way that leads to salvation.

The whole prophecy deals with the nation of Israel — the Jewish people once again living in the land. It should be noted that the mountains of Israel, at the time that the prophecy will be fulfilled, belong to Israel; which means that either there cannot be a declared State of Palestine or that there will be, but that it will be short lived with them once again becoming a part of Israel — only time will tell.

The last 5 verses of the prophecy jump forward in time to the end of the tribulation when, after God has finished His judgements on the world, He pours out His graceupon the Jewish people and they receive their Messiah — Jesus:

25 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now will I bring back the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for my holy name.
26 They shall bear their shame, and all their trespasses by which they have trespassed against me, when they shall dwell securely in their land, and none shall make them afraid;
27 when I have brought them back from the peoples, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations.
28 They shall know that I am the LORD their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them to their own land; and I will leave none of them any 29 neither will I hide my face any more from them; for I have poured out my Spirit on the house of Israel, says the Lord GOD.
Eze. 39:25-29

Map showing the extent of the mountains of Israel.

It can be seen that the mountains of Israel extend from Jenin in the North to a half way point between Hebron and Beersheba in the South.
It can also be seen that the West Bank occupies all of the mountains of Israel.

Map - courtesy of The General Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin

Disclaimer: PrayingForIsrael.net does not endorse the use of the term 'occupied territories' as used at the foot of the map.

These events will take place; maybe not exactly as I have laid out and perhaps not the exact countries as I have mentioned, but it will come to pass to the glory of God.
We ought then to pray that God's will be done and that He will be glorified in the sight of the nations and amongst His people — the Jews, also that many will come to faith as a result of the fulfillment of this prophecy. catcmo2006

1967 - A Fulfillment of Prophecy?

For many people who recognize God's hand in the rebirth of Israel as a nation see the results of the Six Day War of June 1967, when Israel captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank from the Jordanians, as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy: Namely that God would bring back His people from the four corners of the earth:

11 It shall happen in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, who shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12 He will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isa. 11:11-12

However there is a major problem in that Isaiah declares that the prophecied return to the land is a 'second time' from the 'four corners of the earth'. The question then has to be asked, "When was the 'first time'?".

According to Biblical history there was no 'first time'; the only recorded return was that of the return from Babylon after seventy years in exile (great datail is given in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah) and that was only from the area known as the Near East rather from the 'four corners of the earth'. The only other return began in the late 1800's, continuing to this day and literally is from the 'four corners of the earth' — this, then is the 'first time' which makes it a temporary return. That it is a temporary return can clearly be seen from chapters 12 and 14 of Zechariah:

1 The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches forth the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:
2 behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the peoples round about, and on Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem.
3 It shall happen in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, says the LORD, I will strike every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open my eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
5 The chieftains of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of Hosts their God.
6 In that day will I make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem.
7 the LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be not magnified above Judah.
8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and he who is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
9 It shall happen in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zech. 12:1-9

1 Behold, a day of the LORD comes, when your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 His feet shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst of it toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5 You shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azel; yes, you shall flee, like as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and the LORD my God shall come, and all the holy ones with you.
6 It shall happen in that day, that there shall not be light; the bright ones shall withdraw themselves:
7 but it shall be one day which is known to the LORD; not day, and not night; but it shall come to pass, that at evening time there shall be light.
8 It shall happen in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 the LORD shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall the LORD be one, and his name one.
10 All the land shall be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her place, from Benjamin's gate to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel to the king's wine-presses.
11 Men shall dwell therein, and there shall be no more curse; but Jerusalem shall dwell safely.
12 This shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will strike all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 It shall happen in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.
14 Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and clothing, in great abundance.
15 So shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the donkey, and of all the animals that shall be in those camps, as that plague.
16 It shall happen, that everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to keep the feast of tents.
17 It shall be, that whoever of all the families of the earth doesn't go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, on them there shall be no rain.
18 If the family of Egypt doesn't go up, and doesn't come, neither shall it be on them; there shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will strike the nations that don't go up to keep the feast of tents.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that don't go up to keep the feast of tents.
20 In that day shall there be on the bells of the horses, HOLY TO the LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy to the LORD of Hosts; and all those who sacrifice shall come and take of them, and boil therein: and in that day there shall be no more a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts.
Zech. 14:1-21

In verse 8 of chapter 12 we read that on that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem; in verse 2 of chapter 14 we read that the city [Jerusalem] will be captured, the houses rifled, and the women ravished; also that half of the city will go into captivity. From verse 16 it is also clear that this is the beginning of the 1,000 year reign of Christ as we read that the surviving nations will go up to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. These two passages obviously cannot be referring to the same event; so what does it mean? Other verses within the two passages make it more clear: Verse 4 of chapter 14 shows us that this passage is to take place at the second coming of Christ, that Jesus Himself will fight against the nations that have captured the city. However it is to be noted that the city has already been plundered (v.2).

In the passage in chapter 12: 1-9, the account is quite different, the Lord not only protects Jerusalem, but empowers the inhabitants, "so that the feeblest among them will be like David", thus enabling them to fight against and consume their attackers. From verse 5 it is plain that the Jewish people are in faith, having accepted their "King Messiah" Jesus, "The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of Hosts their God.". This then puts this event at the end of the Millennial Kingdom (1,000 year of Christ on earth) when, according to Rev. 20:7-9, Satan will gather all those that have rejected the Kingship of Christ to make war on Jerusalem:

7 When the thousand years are finished, Satan will be freed out of his prison,
8 and will come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 They went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of Heaven, and devoured them.
Rev. 20:7-9

Since then, Jerusalem is going to experience another seige and exile (the prophecy implies that the whole nation of Israel suffers the same fate) it surely follows that the Israeli sovereignty of Jerusalem (and control of the West Bank) as a result of the Six Day War in 1967 is, without a doubt, temporary.
To answer the question of whether the events of 1967 were prophecied — the answer is no, they were however implied which means that they certainly were/are a part of God's plan for Israel and the world at large in these end times.

Footnote
There are many passages that prophesy the regathering of Israel. Some refer to the return from Babylon whilst others the regathering at the beginning of the millennium. This is usually clear from the context of the prophecies; the prophecies dealing with the return from Babylon do not mention, nor hint of anything other than the 'close at hand' return, whereas with the 'final' return they usually have a reference to 'in that day', 'in those days' or something obvious which clearly refers to the time that Christ is ruling and reigning during the millennium. This is the second 'world wide' regathering (Isa. 11:11) - the first is only aluded to and can be seen in Ezekiel chapters 28 and 39:

11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
16 and you shall come up against my people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land: it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified in you, Gog, before their eyes.

26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
Eze. 38:11-12,16; 39:26 (KJV)

Notice that the above prophecy is to happen in 'the latter days' (38:16) and that the Jews are once again dwelling in the land having been 'gathered out of the nations' (38:12). This is the first regathering from the 'four corners of the earth' and as Isaiah 11:11 refers to a 'second time' it follows that there was to be a 'first time'. Added this to have in notes as well...

The millennium (from the Latin 'mille' meaning 'thousand') is the period of 1,000 years when Christ rules on earth, referred to in a number of Scriptures; one of the most obvious being in the book of Revelation:

1 I saw an angel coming down out of Heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 He laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for one thousand years,
3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years are finished. After this, he must be freed for a little time.
4 I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn't worship the beast nor his image, and didn't receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived, and reigned with Christ one thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead didn't live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev. 20:1-5

Note: The passage dealing with the prophecies in Zechariah chapters 12 and 14 was, in part, taken from the Bible study. Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem.

catcmo2006

1967 - A Fulfillment of Prophecy?

1967 - A Fulfillment of Prophecy?

For many people who recognize God's hand in the rebirth of Israel as a nation see the results of the Six Day War of June 1967, when Israel captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank from the Jordanians, as a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy: Namely that God would bring back His people from the four corners of the earth:

11 It shall happen in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, who shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12 He will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isa. 11:11-12

However there is a major problem in that Isaiah declares that the prophecied return to the land is a 'second time' from the 'four corners of the earth'. The question then has to be asked, "When was the 'first time'?".

According to Biblical history there was no 'first time'; the only recorded return was that of the return from Babylon after seventy years in exile (great datail is given in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah) and that was only from the area known as the Near East rather from the 'four corners of the earth'. The only other return began in the late 1800's, continuing to this day and literally is from the 'four corners of the earth' — this, then is the 'first time' which makes it a temporary return. That it is a temporary return can clearly be seen from chapters 12 and 14 of Zechariah:

1 The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches forth the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:
2 behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the peoples round about, and on Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem.
3 It shall happen in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, says the LORD, I will strike every horse with terror, and his rider with madness; and I will open my eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
5 The chieftains of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of Hosts their God.
6 In that day will I make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem.
7 the LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be not magnified above Judah.
8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and he who is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
9 It shall happen in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zech. 12:1-9

1 Behold, a day of the LORD comes, when your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 His feet shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst of it toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
5 You shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azel; yes, you shall flee, like as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and the LORD my God shall come, and all the holy ones with you.
6 It shall happen in that day, that there shall not be light; the bright ones shall withdraw themselves:
7 but it shall be one day which is known to the LORD; not day, and not night; but it shall come to pass, that at evening time there shall be light.
8 It shall happen in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 the LORD shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall the LORD be one, and his name one.
10 All the land shall be made like the Arabah, from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; and she shall be lifted up, and shall dwell in her place, from Benjamin's gate to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananel to the king's wine-presses.
11 Men shall dwell therein, and there shall be no more curse; but Jerusalem shall dwell safely.
12 This shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will strike all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 It shall happen in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.
14 Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and clothing, in great abundance.
15 So shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the donkey, and of all the animals that shall be in those camps, as that plague.
16 It shall happen, that everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to keep the feast of tents.
17 It shall be, that whoever of all the families of the earth doesn't go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, on them there shall be no rain.
18 If the family of Egypt doesn't go up, and doesn't come, neither shall it be on them; there shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will strike the nations that don't go up to keep the feast of tents.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that don't go up to keep the feast of tents.
20 In that day shall there be on the bells of the horses, HOLY TO the LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy to the LORD of Hosts; and all those who sacrifice shall come and take of them, and boil therein: and in that day there shall be no more a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts.
Zech. 14:1-21

In verse 8 of chapter 12 we read that on that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem; in verse 2 of chapter 14 we read that the city [Jerusalem] will be captured, the houses rifled, and the women ravished; also that half of the city will go into captivity. From verse 16 it is also clear that this is the beginning of the 1,000 year reign of Christ as we read that the surviving nations will go up to Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. These two passages obviously cannot be referring to the same event; so what does it mean? Other verses within the two passages make it more clear: Verse 4 of chapter 14 shows us that this passage is to take place at the second coming of Christ, that Jesus Himself will fight against the nations that have captured the city. However it is to be noted that the city has already been plundered (v.2).

In the passage in chapter 12: 1-9, the account is quite different, the Lord not only protects Jerusalem, but empowers the inhabitants, "so that the feeblest among them will be like David", thus enabling them to fight against and consume their attackers. From verse 5 it is plain that the Jewish people are in faith, having accepted their "King Messiah" Jesus, "The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of Hosts their God.". This then puts this event at the end of the Millennial Kingdom (1,000 year of Christ on earth) when, according to Rev. 20:7-9, Satan will gather all those that have rejected the Kingship of Christ to make war on Jerusalem:

7 When the thousand years are finished, Satan will be freed out of his prison,
8 and will come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 They went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of Heaven, and devoured them.
Rev. 20:7-9

Since then, Jerusalem is going to experience another seige and exile (the prophecy implies that the whole nation of Israel suffers the same fate) it surely follows that the Israeli sovereignty of Jerusalem (and control of the West Bank) as a result of the Six Day War in 1967 is, without a doubt, temporary.
To answer the question of whether the events of 1967 were prophecied — the answer is no, they were however implied which means that they certainly were/are a part of God's plan for Israel and the world at large in these end times.

Footnote
There are many passages that prophesy the regathering of Israel. Some refer to the return from Babylon whilst others the regathering at the beginning of the millennium. This is usually clear from the context of the prophecies; the prophecies dealing with the return from Babylon do not mention, nor hint of anything other than the 'close at hand' return, whereas with the 'final' return they usually have a reference to 'in that day', 'in those days' or something obvious which clearly refers to the time that Christ is ruling and reigning during the millennium. This is the second 'world wide' regathering (Isa. 11:11) - the first is only aluded to and can be seen in Ezekiel chapters 28 and 39:

11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
16 and you shall come up against my people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land: it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified in you, Gog, before their eyes.

26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
Eze. 38:11-12,16; 39:26 (KJV)

Notice that the above prophecy is to happen in 'the latter days' (38:16) and that the Jews are once again dwelling in the land having been 'gathered out of the nations' (38:12). This is the first regathering from the 'four corners of the earth' and as Isaiah 11:11 refers to a 'second time' it follows that there was to be a 'first time'.

Note: The passage dealing with the prophecies in Zechariah chapters 12 and 14 was, in part, taken from the Bible study. Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem. catcmo2006

Why Christians Should Support Israel

Why Christians Should Support Israel

God has already confirmed His commitment to the Jewish people by bringing back thousands of Jews from all over the world to their homeland and in the recreation of the modern State of Israel as that homeland.
That Israel should once again be a soveriegn nation should not come as a suprise to any serious student of the Bible as it is a familiar theme throughout the Old Testament:

4 If any of your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there will the LORD your God gather you, and from there will he bring you back:
5 and the LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and he will do you good, and multiply you above your fathers.
Deut. 30:4-5

21 Say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, where they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on 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;
23 neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
24 My servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them.
25 They shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children's children, forever: and David my servant shall be their prince for ever.
26 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 forevermore.
27 My tent also shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
28 The nations shall know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them forevermore.
Eze. 37:21-28

14 "I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel,
And they will rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them;
and they will plant vineyards, and drink wine from them.
They shall also make gardens,
And eat the fruit of them.
15 I will plant them on their land,
And they will no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them,"
says the LORD your God.
Amos 9:14-15

Since God has not rejected His people and still has yet to fulfill all of the promises that He made to them, then it stands to reason that we as Christians must be in agreement with God and His purposes for Israel and the Jewish people. God has determined that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed and that whoever curses Israel will be cursed:

2 "I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you, and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed."
Gen. 12:2-3

Notice that God said "I will"; this promise stands on the integrity of God — it is an everlasting promise, not dependant upon what Abram or his descendants would or would not do, and so therefore it still stands today as it has ever since the day that God declared it to Abram.

God has determined that His calling to the Jewish people will one day come to fulfillment:

25 For I don't desire, brothers, to have you ignorant of this mystery, so that you won't be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,
26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, "There will come out of Zion the Deliverer,
And he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
27 This is my covenant to them,
When I will take away their sins."
28 Concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Rom. 11:25-29

Supporting Israel is not to give blanket approval to everything that the State of Israel does but we should always bear Israel up in our prayers, recognising the hand of God at work and, where possible counter anti-Israel propoganda and especially anti-Semetism. catcmo2006

The Salvation of the Jewish People

The Salvation of the Jewish People

and so all Israel will be saved.
Rom. 11:26(a)

The verse quoted above should say it all, but as with many Scriptures there are quite a few differences in opinion as to how best to interpret it.

There are many that take the Bible at face value — 'if it is speaking about a literal subject then it is to be interpreted as such and not to be allegorized'. This is the method that will be used to conduct this study.

First of all it must be recognised that "... it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel." (Rom. 9:6). So who then is the Israel that will be saved?

Israel is the name that was given to Jacob by God, first when Jacob had wrestled with a 'man' (Gen. 32:24-30) and confirmed later when God reiterated the promise of the Land to him and to his descendants:

9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him.
10 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel." He named him Israel.
11 God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your loins.
12 The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your seed after you will I give the land."
Gen. 35:9-12

The nation of Israel was the result of a promise by God to Abraham:

1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.
2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you, and make your name great. You will be a blessing."
Gen. 12:1-2

This 'great nation' is Israel and as already seen, the promises were to be fulfilled through Jacob.

Although the Jewish people have been dispersed amongst the nations twice already, in fulfillment of Lev. 26:14-45, God has nevertheless promised to one day bring them back to their own land in spite of their rebellion and sin:

22 Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: I don't do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, where you went.
23 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
27 I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them.
28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
29 I will save you from all your uncleanness: and I will call for the grain, and will multiply it, and lay no famine on you.
30 I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that you may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations.
31 Then shall you remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
32 Nor for your sake do I this, says the Lord GOD, be it known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel.
Eze. 36:22-32

This giving of a new heart and a new spirit (v. 26) is in fulfillment of the promise made to Israel in Jeremiah:

31 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:
34 and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD'; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.
Jer. 31:31-34

The accepting of the new covenant is of course based upon recognizing that Jesus is the Messiah and as a nation, Israel will come to faith — by the grace of God their blindness will be taken away, allowing them to repent and believe:

10 I will pour on the house of David, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn.
11 In that day there will be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
12 The land will mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
13 the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of the Shimeites apart, and their wives apart;
14 all the families who remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.
1 "In that day there will be a spring opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
Zech. 12:10-13:1

To answer the question at the beginning of the study "So who is the Israel that will be saved?" we must turn to the Scriptures:

33 As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, will I be king over you:
34 and I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out;
35 and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face.
36 Like as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you, says the Lord GOD.
37 I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;
38 and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and those who disobey against me; I will bring them forth out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and you shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze. 20:33-38


8 It shall happen that in all the land," says the LORD,
"Two parts in it will be cut off and die;
But the third will be left in it.

9 I will bring the third part into the fire,
And will refine them as silver is refined,
And will test them like gold is tested.
They will call on my name, and I will hear them.
I will say, 'It is my people;'
And they will say, 'the LORD is my God.'"
Zech. 13:8-9

There appears to be two separate Jewish groups in view; probably one is the diaspora and the other those already in the Land, even as it is today. Whatever the circumstances, God enters into judgement with the house of Israel and those that are left will be the faithful — those that have not continued in their rejection of Jesus, but have instead, by the grace of God, turned in repentance and have received their Messiah. It is these that are referred to when Paul states that "all Israel will be saved".

Israel and the Jewish people are in a constant state of persecution, mostly by the Arab world but also from a large part of the international community. Within the United Nations assembly there have been, and continues to be, a disproportionate number of anti-Israel resolutions.

Since God is Sovereign it must follow that these persecutions are being allowed by Him and since the [majority of] Jewish people are still in the same unregenerate position as they were in Biblical times, then we should expect that God will use similar methods that He used previously — if they will not listen then He will use the surrounding nations (now the international community and the United Nations) to bring them back to Himself. God loves them so much that He will allow these things to happen in order that the Jewish people will finally recognize that Jesus is their promised Messiah.
There are still unfulfilled prophecies which deal with difficult times for Israel and the Jewish people and we need to constantly watch and pray, calling on God to be merciful and to bring to fruition His plan of salvation for the Jewish people. catcmo2006

Promises to Israel

Promises to Israel

God has made several promises to Israel including three, some would say four, unconditional covenants.
A covenant is a legally binding agreement made between the contracting parties. In ancient Biblical times it was the custom to ratify the covenant by laying out the two halves of animal carcasses and then reciting the terms of the covenant whilst walking between them. The covenanted parties are then under obligation to uphold their part of the agreement - failure to do so by one or the other annuls the covenant and releases the other from his obligations. The Hebrew word for covenant literally means to 'cut a covenant'.

Unconditional covenants however are where one of the agreeing parties promises to fulfill his obligations regardless of whether the other does so or not. It will be seen that God made a least three unconditional covenants with Israel that were based upon His sovereign grace to bring them to fulfillment.

The first unconditional covenant that God made regarding Israel was with Abram and is known as the Abrahamic Covenant:

1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Get out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.
2 I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you, and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. In you will all of the families of the earth be blessed."
Gen. 12:1-3

14 the LORD said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, "Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,
15 for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever.
16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered.
17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it to you."
Gen. 13:14-17

7 He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it."
8 He said, "O Lord GOD, whereby will I know that I will inherit it?"
9 He said to him, "Take me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon."
10 He took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half opposite the other; but he didn't divide the birds.
11 The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
12 When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.
13 He said to Abram, "Know for sure that your seed will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.
14 I will also judge that nation, whom they will serve. Afterward they will come out with great substance.
15 But you will go to your fathers in peace. You will be buried in a good old age.
16 In the fourth generation they will come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full."
17 It came to pass that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
18 In that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
19 the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,
21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites."
Gen. 15:7-21

It should be noted that although in the first verse of chapter 12 of Genesis Abram is told to leave his own land to go to the land that God would show him, this does not make the covenant conditional as there is no hint of discipline for disobedience, quite the contrary, God in His foreknowledge knew that Abram would obey and therefore makes promises to Abram that have absolutely no conditions whatsoever attached to them. As a matter of fact God says that it was He that brought Abram out of the land of Ur (15:7), strongly suggesting, in accordance with the doctrine of predestination, that Abram didn't really have much choice in the matter (compare how God brings Gog of the land of Magog to the mountains of Israel in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39).

In chapter 13 of Genesis God elaborates on the promises already given and now includes the land as a possesion to Abram and his offspring forever and to make his descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth. By God promising to give the land to Abram and his offspring forever confirms that it is an unconditional covenant as nothing that Abram nor his descendants could do could nullify the promise. This is again confirmed in the manner by which God ratified the covenant as recorded in Gen. 15:7-21: God put Abram into a deep sleep and instead of Abram walking between the carcasses with God whilst reciting the terms of the covenant, God Himself, in the form of a smoking furnace and a flaming torch, passed between the pieces signifying that neither Abram nor his descendants could ever break the covenant as God made the covenant on behalf of Abram rather than literally with him. There could be no clearer way in which God could show that it was indeed an unconditional covenant.

The second unconditional covenant regarding Israel is known as the Davidic Covenant (some commentators consider Deut. 30:1-10, referred to as the 'Palestinian Covenant', as the second unconditional covenant; but it is really only a recomformation of the Abrahamic Covenant):

12 When your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall proceed out of your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;
15 but my lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you.
16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before you: your throne shall be established forever.
2 Sam. 7:12-16

The first four verses (12-15) refer to David's son Solomon whilst the last (v. 16) is directed specifically to David. These five verses promise to David that he will always have a descendant whose right it is to the throne and that it will be an everlasting throne.

Referring to Solomon, God says that He will punish him for his iniquities but that He would not leave him and that God would establish the throne of Solomon's kingdom forever. This is not to be thought of as establishing Solomon or his lineage forever but rather the throne of the kingdom that he inherited from his father David which is in agreement with verse 16 which promises an everlasting dynasty, kingdom and throne to David. That these promises to David are everlasting shows that it is an unconditional covenant as nothing David nor his descendants after him can do to break it. This is confirmed, even after all the transgressions of the kings of Judah, by the angel Gabriel when sent to Mary:

30 The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name JESUS.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father, David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end of his kingdom."
Lk. 1:30-33

By telling Mary that Jesus would be given the throne and kingdom of David, Gabriel was confirming the continuance of the Davidic Covenant and thus proving that it was indeed an unconditional covenant.
The psalmist also confirms that the Davidic Covenant was everlasting and therefore unconditional:

3 "I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David, my servant,
4 'I will establish your seed forever
And build up your throne to all generations.'"
Selah.

19 Then you spoke in vision to your saints,
And said, "I have bestowed strength on the warrior.
I have exalted a young man from the people.
20 I have found David, my servant.
I have anointed him with my holy oil,
21 With whom my hand shall be established.
My arm will also strengthen him.
22 No enemy will tax him.
No wicked man will oppress him.
23 I will beat down his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.
24 But my faithfulness and my lovingkindness will be with him.
In my name, his horn will be exalted.
25 I will set his hand also on the sea,
And his right hand on the rivers.
26 He will call to me, 'You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation!'
27 I will also appoint him my firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my lovingkindness for him forevermore.
My covenant will stand firm with him.
29 I will also make his seed endure forever,
And his throne as the days of Heaven.
30 If his children forsake my law,
And don't walk in my ordinances;
31 If they break my statutes,
And don't keep my commandments;
32 Then I will punish their sin with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33 But I will not completely take my lovingkindness from him,
Nor allow my faithfulness to fail.
34 I will not break my covenant,
Nor alter what my lips have uttered
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness,
I will not lie to David.
36 His seed will endure forever,
His throne like the sun before me.
37 It will be established forever like the moon,
The faithful witness in the sky."
Ps. 89:3-4, 19-37

The final unconditional covenant is the New Covenant:

31 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:
34 and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.
35 Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea, so that the waves of it roar; the LORD of hosts is his name:
36 If these ordinances depart from before me, says the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.
37 Thus says the LORD: If Heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then will I also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD.
38 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner.
39 The measuring line shall go out further straight onward to the hill Gareb, and shall turn about to Goah.
40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields to the brook Kidron, to the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever.
Jer. 31:31-40

Although the basic elements of the covenant have been realized for believers, both Jewish and Gentile, in the Church this does not negate the explicitness of the wording of verse 31. It is also clear from the passage that the New Covenant is to replace the Law of Moses (v. 32) and that as a seal of the unconditional character of the covenant, God emphasizes the perpetuity of the nation of Israel, the city of Jerusalem and by extention the Messianic kingdom (vv. 35-40).

There are many more promises concerning Israel recorded in the Scriptures, most of which contain the same theme — 'I will bring you back':

11 It shall happen in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, who shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12 He will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isa. 11:11-12

3 I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply.
4 I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, says the LORD.
5 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called: the LORD our righteousness.
7 Therefore, behold, the days come, says the LORD, that they shall no more say, As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8 but, As the LORD lives, who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had driven them. They shall dwell in their own land.
Jer. 23:3-8

17 Therefore say, Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18 They shall come there, and they shall take away all the detestable things of it and all the abominations of it from there.
19 I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh;
20 that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
Eze. 11:17-20 [see also Eze. 36:1-38]

21 Say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, where they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on 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;
23 neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
24 My servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them.
25 They shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob my servant, in which your fathers lived; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children's children, forever: and David my servant shall be their prince for ever.
26 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 forevermore.
27 My tent also shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
28 The nations shall know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them forevermore.
Eze. 37:21-28

9 For, behold, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, like as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least kernel fall on the earth.
10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, The evil shall not overtake nor meet us.
11 In who day will I raise up the tent of David who is fallen, and close up the breaches of it; and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old;
12 who they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the nations who are called by my name, says the LORD who does this.
13 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the one treading grapes him who sows seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
14 I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine of it; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
15 I will plant them on their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, says the LORD your God.
Amos 9:9-15

From all of the above it is clear that Israel has been promised a special place in the program of God — specifically that Israel will be a nation forever, and once graciously saved, will once again dwell in the land with King Messiah ruling over the promised kingdom from David's throne — forever, which with the advent of the new heavens and the new earth and the new Jerusalem, means throughout all eternity. No wonder they are referred to by God as the apple of His eye! catcmo2006

The Media's 'Occupation' Myth

Media's 'Occupation' Myth

The following article has been reproduced from FrontPageMagazine.com with permission from the author, David Harsanyi.

The Media's 'Occupation' Myth

By David Harsanyi

FrontPageMagazine.com March 29, 2002

THE APRIL 1 EDITION OF NEWSWEEK carried the ominous headline: How will Israel survive? Most of us thought we'd never have to hear the question again. But with psychopaths cashing in on Iraqi-sponsored life insurance policies at the expense of innocent Israeli civilians daily, the dramatic headline is more than fitting. The problem isn't the headline, however, it's that Newsweek answers its rhetorical question with clichés and historical misconceptions that have contaminated mainstream coverage of the Middle East for years.

Israel, one of the most technologically advanced and humane nations on earth, a marvel of postwar economic and scientific development, is under attack. A concerted Arab effort to encourage terror against Jews (Iraq's payment of suicide bombers' families would be enough for any sane nation to declare war), coupled with the rise of Muslim fundamentalism puts Israel's existence into serious danger for the first time since 1973.

Palestinians, pawns in a regional push to eliminate Jews in the Middle East, have instigated a war against the civilian population of Israel - a portion of which was previously sympathetic to their cause. Over the past decades the PLO, the world's leading terrorist organization, has morphed into the Palestinian Authority, but their goal remains the same: the destruction of Israel. Journalists have long overlooked the historical details of this conflict. The widow struggling to cross an Israel checkpoint, the boy throwing harmless rocks at an occupying Israeli tank, the story of a disenfranchised people is dramatic. It sells. Instead of factual reporting, the mainstream media has placed culpability on both parties, creating a perception of equal aggression, of a 'cycle' of violence.

Since the Arab world has transferred its failed military campaign against Israel into a diplomatic and public relations siege, they have used an underprivileged Palestinian population as their primary weapon against Israel. Jordanian King Hussein described this strategy as early as 1960 in an interview with an Associated Press: "Since 1948 Arab leaders have approached the Palestine problem in an irresponsible manner. They have not looked into the future. They have no plan or approach. They have used the Palestinian people for selfish political purposes. This is ridiculous and, I could say, criminal."

What King Hussein understood about his own people, American journalists are still oblivious to. Arabs have been negligent of Palestinian rights, many times prolonging their misery in effort to undermine Israel. This plan is bearing fruits now, as homicidal fanatics with little to lose, blow themselves up among women and children in Netanya, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

It all begins with the presumption that the West Bank and Gaza are 'occupied territory.' While most Israelis have come to terms with the fact some form of Palestinian autonomy is forthcoming, at the very least these lands should be considered 'disputed' territories. The phrase 'occupied territory' has become universally accepted, however, despite its historical complexity. Newsweek's recent coverage of Israel, for instance, uses the phrase countless times without even mentioning a challenging view.

Fact is, Jews have had a continued presence in Israel for 3,000 years and have never relinquished their claim. Arabs rejected the United Nations resolution of November 29, 1947 calling for the establishment of two states in Palestine, with an all out war to eliminate Jews enacted by the Arab world. After the 1967 War - another war of Arab aggression -- Israel recovered a small remnant (13% in whole) of what was promised to them by the UN - eventually handing back the Sinai Desert for peace with Egypt in 1977.

Between 1948-1967, Jordan and Egypt, who governed the West Bank and Gaza, respectively, never offered to surrender those lands to form an independent Palestinian state. No Palestinian organization ever sought an independent state. No Arab country had even suggested its existence. An Arab Palestine has never been the name of any nation or state. 'Palestine' was a geographical term used only to identify administrative boundaries within larger empires, nothing more.

The purpose of a separate Palestinian State was defined faultlessly by the late Zoher Moessein, head of PLO bureau of military operation:

"There is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians and Lebanese; we are all members of the same nation. Solely for political reasons are we careful to stress our identity as Palestinians. Since a separate State of Palestine would be an extra weapon in Arab hands to fight Zionism with. Yes, we do call for the creation of a Palestinian state for tactical reasons. Such a state would be a new means of continuing the battle against Zionism, and for Arab unity."

An offshoot of the occupation myth is the 'refugee' fabrication. It states that a significant portion of the Arab population was driven out of Israel by force during the 1948 War. It makes for good copy, but it's false. Egyptian activist, Edward Said, the most famous of these "refugees," for example, has been exposed as a fraud, as has this revisionist history.

Mark Twain, a man, one would think, as devoid of 'imperialistic Zionist' intentions, wrote in 1867 that Palestine was "a desolate country whose soil is rich enough but is given over wholly to weeds." Yet, Arabs have claimed that over a million refugees were forced from their homes during the 1948 War of Independence - this number includes Arabs whose relatives entered Israel from 1946 onward. The number of Arab refugees is probably closer to 400,000, most of whom took it upon themselves to flee despite Jewish assurances that they would not be harmed. The contention that Arabs were removed by gunpoint is totally incorrect. Research by the Arab-sponsored Institute for Palestinians Studies in Beirut found that "the majority of the Arab refugees in 1948 were not expelled and 68 percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier."

In her meticulously researched book, From Time Immemorial, Joan Peters proves that a roughly equivalent number of Jewish refugees were expelled from Arab nations during the same period -- 120,000 from Iraq alone. It is estimated that one million immigrants were integrated into Israel's society from 1948-1950.

None of them, on the other hand, were confined for life to refugee camps.

David Harsanyi has written for the Associated Press, CNN/Sports Illustrated as well as numerous magazines and is based in NYC. Visit his website: http://dharsanyi.blogspot.com or email him at David_Harsanyi@yahoo.com.

The Fear Of The Lord

Fear Of The Lord

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
Deut. 6:5

You shall fear the LORD your God; him shall you serve; and to him shall you cleave, and by his name shall you swear.
Deut. 10:20

Do we as believing Christians know or understand what it is to fear the Lord? In our rational human minds it does seem to be a bit of a contradiction, on one hand to love God with all our hearts, minds and bodies, and on the other hand to fear Him. How can we reconcile the two?

Of course there are no contradictions in the Bible and God is not a God of confusion — so what is the answer? Sometimes when there is a difficult passage in the Scriptures it is God's way of getting our attention to some principal or fact that is really important for us to learn.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 Jn. 4:18

This verse seems to be a contradiction of other verses in both the Old and New Testaments that teach us to fear the Lord, or to fear God; it plainly says that perfect love drives out fear, and the one who fears is not made perfect in love; so how can they all be right without contradicting one another?

First we must understand what fear is: By definition it is to be afraid, having said that though there are two types of fear — the fear of the known and the fear of the unknown. We all know that it is wise to be afraid of a dangerous situation — standing too close to a loose cliff edge for instance, this is the fear of the known and it is a healthy fear, it produces respect, security and peace of mind. The fear of the unknown — the dark, unfamiliar circumstances etc., if left to run it's course it will cause the fear to grow to an uncontrollable state — even to paranoia! The fear of the unknown will bring insecurity, disorder, confusion and could lead to a person becoming temporarily paranoid. Not something that anyone would want!

There is no fear in love. We are taught to love God and to fear Him. If there was fear in love, then we would only be told to love God. Perfect love drives out fear. To drive something out is to imply that is not welcome and the fear that perfect love drives out is certainly not welcome as it is the fear of the unknown - the fear that has to do with punishment.

The second half of the verse tells us that the one who fears is not made perfect in love; this is because their faith is not of the reassuring kind that affirms their acceptance by God. They still, in uncertainty, fear reprisals for their sin on the day of judgement; they are in the fear of the unknown because they are not sure of what will happen to them. Those that are made perfect in love, by their acceptance and reassuring knowledge of the finished work of Christ on the cross, choose to fear God out of a holy respect for who God is.
Notice that they choose to fear, it is not fear that is controlling them but they who are controlling the fear. Although the Bible tells us to fear God, it is still something that we have to choose to do, God cannot make us fear Him, it is a decision of our own free will; we are in control of how much we fear and when we fear; not like the fear of the unknown which is uncontrollable, which actually controls us rather than us controlling it.

The fear of the known, in respect to God, is like a child knowing what his parents allow or disallow and the results of disobedience. The child knows that his parents love him and want only what is good for him and therefore are willing to discipline him when needed in order to bring him up according to what is right and wrong. The child has a healthy fear of his parents and at the same time loving and trusting his parents because he knows that they love him.

As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev. 3:19

5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children,
"My son, don't take lightly the chastening of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are reproved by him;
6 For whom the Lord loves, he chastens,
And scourges every son whom he receives."
7 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn't discipline?
8 But if you are without discipline, whereof all have been made partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not children.
9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.
11 All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby.
Heb. 12:5-11

So, you might ask, why should we fear God? First because the Bible tells us to - God loves obedient children - second, because it is good for us. God doesn't tell us to do something for no reason; in everything there is a purpose and that is for us to reach maturity in Christ. Moses explained why we ought to fear God and it is interesting that in the following passage he shows the two kinds of fear - first the fear of the unknown and then the fear of the known.

18 All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance.
19 They said to Moses, "Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don't let God speak with us, lest we die."
20 Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won't sin."
21 The people stayed at a distance, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
Ex. 20:18-21

The people were afraid because they had never seen and heard anything like this before — it was unknown to them and consequently the were afraid of what might happen to them. Moses however calms their fears and explains to them what is happening and what will happen. The fear of the unknown becomes the fear of the known and it brings with it peace and reassurance.

This is the fear of God, knowing what God expects of us and what the consequences of sin and disobedience are. The fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning. So as we have seen there are no problems with the commands:

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
Deut. 6:5

You shall fear the LORD your God; him shall you serve; and to him shall you cleave, and by his name shall you swear.
Deut. 10:20

To love God is to fear God. To always have that Holy fear which is due reverance to a awesome, mighty, righteous and perfect God who loves us enough to have given His only Son as an atoning sacrifice in our place. May the fear, and therefore the peace, of God go with you.

catcmo2006