The Capital of Capitals

When the United States, through President Donald Trump, declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, all the Nations of the earth reacted. Even the United Nations voted to nullify President Trump’s declaration. But, President Trump appears determined in his decision to move our embassy to Jerusalem.

 

The UN vote is a tremendous insult to US sovereignty and the country’s ability to make its own decisions. Forget about the hundreds of millions of dollars the US provides to the UN each year! But, don’t despair. “Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her…” (Isa 66:10)

 

In this writer’s opinion, the United States of America is in for a blessing because “those who bless Israel will be blessed” according to the Scriptures. Declaring Jerusalem the “eternal” capital of Israel along with the intent of moving an embassy will undoubtedly pay dividends for every country taking that right and courageous step. Israel is currently reporting that ten nations are now considering moving their embassies. In spite of the UN vote against Jerusalem being Israel’s capital, a growing number of nations are now seriously considering or have committed to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

 

President Trump’s (the United States’) declaration concerning Jerusalem either marks a scripturally prophetic trigger or another politically controversial position taken by the President.

 

Ironically, the cries for Jerusalem to be a universal city rather than Israel’s capital are not only antithetical to Scripture but have also created confusion and antipathy for both Israel and the Palestinians. Rather than uniting people in peace, the Universalists have exacerbated the divide and thwarted any viable hope for real peace. As Israel’s capital, Jerusalem is currently committed to host people from other religions and other nations in a peaceful fashion.

 

According to Scripture, Jerusalem has been and ever will be Israel’s capital. But, from a biblically prophetic perspective, Jerusalem in the future will also be universal. Jerusalem is destined to be the Capital of all capitals. In fact, the prophet Zechariah (14:16ff) and Yeshua’s Revelation (21:9-27) declare that all Nations will send representatives to Jerusalem in that day and the glory of those Nations will contribute to the beauty of the City!

 

Yes, Jerusalem will be THE universal City visited by all the nations of the earth, not in spite of, but because it is the capital of Israel, the place where the King of kings will reside and establish a just peace for all.

 

Considering the future, where do you stand now?

What Man Gives, Man Can Take Away

Sunday – January 15, 2017 – seventy nations gathered in Paris, France, to attempt a kick-start to the “peace” process that has utterly failed for the past 24 years. Hoping for some “wind in the sails” from the United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 passed on December 23, 2016, to restart the “Two State” Oslo Accord solution for a Palestinian State, the seventy nations were somewhat disappointed. Neither of the two key players was present – Israel or the Palestinians! Some of these national leaders would like nothing better than to divide the Land of Israel in order to reduce Israel’s land size. Did I say “reduce”? Some of these leaders intend to support the destruction of Israel. At any rate, the Paris gathering is being called a dismal failure.

 

UN resolution 2334 resolves to declare any land that Israel won in the 1967 (6-day) war illegal for Israel to own or possess. Therefore, the resolution attempts to clarify and solidify the term “occupied” territories by asserting Israel’s illegal occupation of those lands based on International Law. The so-called “occupied” territory of East Jerusalem includes the Jewish Quarter and the Kotel (Western Wall) found within the walls of the Old City. The most sacred and holy Jewish places in the world would be off-limits to Jewish people. If the international community were able to enforce UN resolution 2334, Jews would no longer be allowed to pray at the Western Wall. Hundreds of thousands of Jews would no longer be allowed to live in Eastern Jerusalem, including the Jewish Quarter within the Old City walls. The proponents of UN resolution 2334 were hoping that the 70 nations gathering in Paris would compel the international community to enforce this anti-Israel resolution. But, their hopes were bitterly disappointed.

 

What man gives, man can take away! On the surface one might think that the UN body of leaders who adopted the formation of Israel’s borders in 1947 could also change the borders of national Israel today. Not so – declares PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu rightly believes that the G0D of Israel deeded the Land of Israel to the people of Israel. In fact, the borders of this land originate from, and are often reiterated in, Scripture. Followers of Yeshua (Jesus) should not succumb to fear over decisions made by the UN or the gatherings of nations, but we should be compelled to pray. Pray as the prophet Daniel prayed when he realized that Jeremiah’s prophecy would be fulfilled in his generation. (Dan.9)

 

Psalm 2 declares:

Why are the nations in an uproar, the peoples grumbling in vain?…He who sits in heaven laughs; Adonai looks at them in derision.

 

Let’s pray like Rav. Shaul (Apostle Paul):

Brothers, my heart’s deepest desire and my prayer to God for Isra’el is for their salvation! (Rom.10:1)

Let’s pray like Moses:

Arise, ADONAI! May your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you! (Num.10:35)

Is This the Time?

Ecclesiastes [Kohelet] 3:1-8  There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven–

— a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

— a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

— a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

— a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

— a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to discard,

— a time to tear and a time to sew, a time to keep silent and a time to speak,

— a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

 

On this day and at this time many in America are rejoicing and laughing, but at the same time in our country many are also weeping and crying. The Presidential election is over. Donald J. Trump has become our president elect. For many, Trump’s victory comes as a complete surprise, but for others this apparent electoral upset comes as no surprise whatsoever. There certainly has been no shortage of prognosticators during this hard fought and “nasty” campaign. Had Hillary Clinton emerged victorious, a divided populous would be just as apparent as it is now with anti-Trump riots across the US.

 

In many ways this nation has become the “Divided” States of America and is in dire need of a time to heal. As most of you, I grew up reciting The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

 

It’s not easy to live up to those words. On a personal level the understanding of being one nation under God is the place to start. Giving credit and glory to God is to honor Him. We read in 1 Samuel 2:30, “…those who honor Me I will honor…” Restoring the “United” in the USA will not be easy but will be worth the effort. Based on the principle of unity under God found in Psalm 133 we could expect a “blessing” and an anointing as a nation. The struggle to reunite our nation after the civil war was difficult but worth it. The United States of America can be a force for good in the world…it’s worth it.

 

This is a time to heal, not a time to kill or to throw stones. It is a time to gather, not a time to scatter or divide. It’s a time to build, not a time to tear down. For some it’s a time to laugh, but not in the faces of those who are weeping. For the USA the present time needs to be a time to love, not to hate. In my personal opinion this moment in our country’s history is a time to pray and humble our hearts before the Almighty, not a time to gloat over a political victory. Let’s apprehend the grace and favor of God while we still have time to seek His face.

 

Will you join me in praying for our nation at a time when so many are hurting and disillusioned? Please continue to pray for our current and future leaders as well.

Is He/She Good For the Jews?

During this highly controversial political year in the U.S., the rhetoric of multiple candidates can cause confusion and false expectations. We may not agree on all issues a particular candidate espouses, but I have found it helpful to ask one question: Is he or she good for the Jews?

 

Making a decision to cast your ballot for the candidate of your choice may certainly require you to ask many questions. An informed voter is a good voter. But along with the many questions you may ask, don’t neglect to inquire of their position on Israel and Jews. Anti-Israel equates to antisemitism in the political world, just as antisemitic rhetoric will certainly represent an anti-Israel political position.

 

The Scriptures have clearly guaranteed Israel’s restoration, which all of us have been witnessing for almost 70 years (see Ezekiel 36-38). The impossible has become a reality after nearly two thousand years of dispersion. Israel is the ONLY democratic society in the Middle East! The people of Israel stand on the front line of defense against radical Islamic terrorism. The Jews who live outside of Israel are still living in the Diaspora, and have once again become subjected to a new wave of antisemitism. Should we elect a president who is against Israel or who is anti-Jewish, we Jews would once again be vulnerable to antisemitism’s darkness.

 

Two presidential candidates have caused me concern when I ask, “Is he good for the Jews?” — Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

 

Donald Trump loves to tweet and yesterday morning he re-tweeted a quote attributed to Adolph Hitler’s fascist Italian partner Benito Mussolini. The tweet: “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.” Even if Trump believes that his statement represents the sentiment of his heart he should have considered its association with fascism and Jew-hatred.

 

Trying to give him the benefit of the doubt on Meet the Press yesterday morning, Chuck Todd asked Donald Trump if he knew the quote was associated with Mussolini. Trump’s response astounded me! He not only admitted to knowing the source of the original tweet – Gawker’s Ashley Feinberg who was deliberately trying to trip up the Donald – but he also admitted knowing that the quote was associated with Mussolini.

 

Quoting Mussolini didn’t seem to bother him – Trump liked the quote and considered it worth repeating even though he was aware of its source. I have tried to brush off Trump’s antics as simple showmanship, but his “neutral” position on the question of Israel during the last Republican debate in Houston finally enlightened me as he answered my primary question. The fact that a former KKK leader, David Duke, as well as the extreme right wing Jean Marie Le Pen of France, endorsed Donald Trump is not encouraging. Is he good for the Jews?

 

Bernie Sanders is Jewish. But, when I asked the question: “Is he good for the Jews?” I have been disturbed by his extreme socialistic worldview and his lack of support for Israel. Still, I wasn’t convinced that I knew the answer to my question until he brought Lawrence Wilkerson, a recognized anti-Semite, into his circle of advisers on foreign policy. How do you suppose “Larry” would advise Bernie on policy issues concerning Israel? How about referring to Larry’s statement from 2013 when he speculated that Israel could be the source for the gassing of Syrian “rebels” – which included women and children? All this after the Western Intelligence services had already concluded that Bashar al Assad had gassed his own people. While the rest of us were horrified by the news and accompanying pictures of gassed men, women and children at the hands of Syria’s dictator, in 2013 Lawrence Wilkerson told Current TV: “This could’ve been an Israeli false flag operation, it could’ve been an opposition in Syria … or it could’ve been an actual use by Bashar Assad,” according to The Times of Israel, February 28, 2016 edition. Why would Bernie Sanders invite such a man to advise him on foreign policy? Is he good for the Jews?

 

I hope we elect a president who is good for the Jews because history has informed us of antisemitism’s consequences. When a society succumbs to acts of violence against the Jewish community, it also makes itself vulnerable to acts of violence against all minorities. Clearing some of the confusion during this campaign season may be determined by asking one simple question: Is he/she good for the Jews?

Stop Defending Israel!

 

Those of you misguided supporters of Israel and the Jewish people need to stop defending Israel. Can’t you understand that the media person portrayed above is simply reporting the news? Reporters are non-biased and report the news from political and social neutrality. The act of terror portrayed above is simply a “freedom fighter” who is defending his land against that aggressive hate-mongering settler bleeding from a Palestinian stab wound.

Stop defending Israel! Don’t you know that Ban Ki Moon has already declared an inequality of violence? Israeli responses to unprovoked Palestinian acts of terror and murder against civilians is far worse than Palestinian terrorists deserve! After all, how dare the Israelis respond with rubber bullets and tear gas to more than 20 murderous Palestinian stabbings! Come on, you don’t really believe that Israeli civilians are innocent do you? I mean, the two-year-old toddler that was attacked by a Palestinian this week would have grown up to be an IDF soldier. How about the seventy-year-old woman who had dedicated her life to helping poor Palestinian children but who was attacked and wounded by a Palestinian terrorist…well, maybe that one was a mistake?

By the way…We should all accept the words of Abu Mazen, AKA Mahmoud Abbas, as truth…shouldn’t we? He just told the world that Israel butchered a 13-year-old Palestinian boy. Never mind that the boy and his older cousin were attempting to murder Israelis in Jerusalem by stabbing them to death. That poor ‘butchered’ Palestinian boy ran from the police and was actually hit by a car and rushed to an Israeli hospital where he is receiving treatment. Check this out…There he is! What do you know!!

How can anyone doubt the White House spokesman who declared the guilt of Israel because of expanding settlements and provoking the ire of the Palestinian people? So what if some Israelis die and dozens more are wounded by Palestinian violence and rage? So what if one of the victims was a baby and the other an elderly woman? So what?

Why defend Israel against Palestinian rage and terror? Everyone knows that Israel is the guilty party. Don’t they?

Stop defending Israel…The Apple of G-d’s eye?

NEVER!!!

If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its cunning. May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I ever forget Jerusalem as my chief joy!

– Psalms 137:5,6 (my paraphrase)

An Alliance with State-Sponsored Terrorism

Today the U.S. Senate has handed our President “victory” in his effort to form a diplomatic alliance with Iran. Today President Obama lauded a history-making “step forward” for diplomacy. Today, on the anniversary of 9/11 (two days before the Feast of Trumpets and the Jewish New Year), the United States of America has agreed to support Islamic religious fanaticism by blocking Congress’ attempt to stop the “Bad Deal” before the U.S., Israel and much of the Free World will be faced with the dark horrors of a “Hitlerized” nation on steroids.

Many who say the so-called Nuke deal with Iran is disastrous have been warning us to fight against it. The majority of Americans don’t want it. 90% of Israelis are against it. Iran has continued to openly threaten Israel’s destruction. Iran continues to openly declare the eventual demise of the “Great Satan” America. Iran historically and presently lies, deceives and makes promises it has no intention of keeping…sounds like some politicians we could name. Iran boldly supports the Syrian “butcher” Bashar al-Assad who has murdered hundreds of thousands of his own people. Iran has formed an alliance with Putin’s Russia who is currently sending troops, missiles and war equipment to bolster Assad’s regime. Yes, this is the same Vladimir Putin who has been laughing at the growing ineptitude of the U.S. President and State Department’s efforts to influence the Middle East toward U.S. interests.

Iran sponsors Hezbollah, Assad and the evil powers dwelling in Gaza in an effort to wear down Israel’s defenses and bring destruction upon the Jewish nation. Adolf Hitler would be proud of Iran’s leadership – he could have taken some lessons from the Ayatollahs.

So, why is the Executive branch of our government forcing the majority of U.S. citizens as well as its most strategic ally in the Middle East, Israel, to support an unholy alliance with a nation bent on Expansionism and the destruction of Israel and the U.S.?

Unholy alliances have never been good for liberty or those who uphold Biblical values in an attempt to influence society for the good.

A Compassionately Fought War?

At least one man thinks Israel fought the war in Gaza this past summer in a compassionate manner.  General Dempsey declared to the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in New York that Israel went to “extraordinary lengths” and far surpassed normal protocol to protect Gaza’s civilian population.

 

Yes, over a thousand Palestinians died and much property was destroyed, but we can thank the terrorist organization Hamas for provoking Israel to war by the continuous unprovoked firing of missiles into Israeli civilian population areas.  Israel’s retaliation against Hamas included bombing sites of determined targets from which Hamas was firing rockets and missiles into Israel.  These sites included UN schools, hospitals and other populated areas that Hamas used as launching sites for hundreds of missiles fired into Israeli civilian population centers.

 

General Dempsey praised Israel’s effort to limit civilian casualties.  The Israeli military had “no desire to destroy civilian life” and warned Palestinian civilians of incoming bombs before they were launched.  Dempsey is convinced that Israel’s compassionate approach to fighting this war is worth emulating.  He has now sent a military delegation to Israel in order to learn the methods by which civilian causalities can be limited.

 

Why are the comments by General Dempsey so important?  In light of other world leaders who have criticized Israel’s lack of compassion for the Palestinian people, the General’s enlightened comments bring a degree of redemptive purpose for the way Israel fought this war.  Political leaders will likely not yield their position against Israel after hearing Dempsey’s evaluation and comments, but they should. Dempsey’s credibility as a soldier cannot be disputed.

 

What do you think?

 

One day when Yeshua returns as the King of kings, Israel and the Nations of the world will no longer practice war.  As Isaiah 2:4 proclaims:

He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades and their spears into pruning-knives; nations will not raise swords at each other, and they will no longer learn war.

The Latest Fad in Suicide Terrorism

Forget suicide bombers.  No more dynamite strapped to someone’s chest and hidden beneath an overcoat.  No more backpacks full of explosives left on a public transportation bus.  I haven’t seen a car bomb lately but in a week’s time I’ve seen three different Palestinians drive their vehicles into a crowd waiting for the next light rail to arrive.  Hey, those other means of suicide terrorism may reappear but for now driving a car or a van into a crowd waiting for public transportation seems to be the new fad in Jerusalem.

Are these Palestinians simply frustrated and feeling oppressed by Israel?  Perhaps, but have you read the Palestinian National Charter lately?   Documented are 33 resolutions of the Palestinian National Council written in July of 1948.  How about this one: Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine. Thus it is the overall strategy, not merely a tactical phase. (Excerpt from #9 of the charter).  What about peaceful negotiations?  Don’t think so.  “Only way to liberate Palestine” does not mean the West Bank or Gaza – it means all the land we now call Israel.

Here’s another one: Commando action constitutes the nucleus of the Palestinian popular liberation war.  (Excerpt from #10 of the charter).  Does this excerpt from #10 call for individual Palestinians to wage war by any means against Israel and Israelis?  Sure sounds that way to me!  But what do I know?  I’m just an observer watching suicide terrorists drive their vehicles into non-suspecting civilians who are waiting for a ride home.  Some get killed, many get injured but all become victims of the latest fad in suicide terrorism.

Is peace between Israel and the Palestinian people really possible?

Ps.11:4-5  ADONAI is in his holy temple. ADONAI, his throne is in heaven. His eyes see and test humankind. ADONAI tests the righteous; but he hates the wicked and the lover of violence (the Hebrew term for violence “חָמָס” is “Hamas”).

Firecrackers for a Dead Baby

Last week my wife and I were in Jerusalem for a series of meetings.  We rented a room nearby for convenience.  The view from our room was wonderful – it overlooked the Ben Hinom Valley [from which we get the word “hell”] – and we could see the “Old City” walls and the predominately Palestinian town of Silwan. Silwan is the biblical town of Shiloach which contained the pool of Siloam – a part of King David’s and Solomon’s gardens as well as the site of miracles in Yeshua’s day.

Last week the serene view was constantly interrupted by gunfire in Silwan, followed by Israeli helicopters flying overhead.  This town has become a hotbed of Palestinian anti-Israel activity, inspired by the Hamas war against Israel this past summer.  During the week of our stay in Jerusalem, a terrorist from Silwan drove his car into a small crowd at an Israeli bus stop, killing a 3-month-old baby.  The young Jewish American family had come to Israel for study purposes at one of the local yeshivas…their baby has now become a permanent resident.

The following evening we once again heard sounds of gunfire and fireworks across the valley in Silwan.  When we looked from our balcony we could hardly believe our eyes and ears: the people of Silwan were rejoicing over the death of a Jewish baby!  In Silwan among the Palestinians, terror is praised and the death of Jewish children is cause for rejoicing.  Excuse me…but that is sick.

My new granddaughter is three months old, so this incident became especially personal. My heart weeps for the victims of this Islamic terror.  I can’t imagine the grief and confusion of this Jewish American family – Can you?

I am reminded of Isaiah’s words:

(Isa 5:20) Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who change darkness into light and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter!

 

May the LORD grant His shalom to Israel.

Ps.25:19-22 Consider my enemies, how many there are and how cruelly they hate me. Protect me and rescue me; don’t let me be disgraced, for I take refuge in you.  Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, because my hope is in you.  God! Redeem Isra’el from all their troubles!

Sukkot: The End of Politics?

This week we are celebrating Sukkot.  Unlike any other Moadim (appointed times of the LORD) the Torah commands (Lev.23:39) a “celebration” of Sukkot (feast of Booths or Tabernacles).  We build temporary dwellings (sukkot) to live in during the weeklong celebration, although most people just eat in the sukkah and call it sufficient.

Why are we commanded to celebrate and live in a sukkah?  This remembrance celebration takes us back to the time when Israel spent 40 years in the desert.  There we lived in tents.   Living in a tent does not appeal to most Jews today but we remember the fact that G0D lived among us.  During those 40 years in the desert we ate manna from heaven, drank water from a miraculous rock that followed our forefathers while in the desert, our sandals and clothing remained intact.  All tailors and shoemakers went out of business!   We did complain a lot, but who wouldn’t in a desert – right?

So, on the one hand we celebrate G0D having been in the midst of Israel and sustaining His people for 40 years.  That’s worth a celebration!

But, on the other hand, the unfortunate political element that arose only brought Israel trouble.   People vying for power and leadership brought division and destruction in the desert.  For example, Korach elevated himself and formed “the people’s party” against Moshe’s leadership.  Death and destruction followed.

In a world full of politics that represent and promote divisions among us, I look forward to the future of Sukkot and a world that will be governed by a benevolent ruler in a kingdom that breeds life, healing and unity.  Future Sukkot prophesies the return of King Yeshua who has gone to prepare a place for us.  Under His reign, divisive politics will be eliminated to make room for the cultivation of a world that everyone will enjoy.  Every nation, with its own unique glory, will be welcome into the New Jerusalem.  (Zech.14; Rev.21)

Yes, Sukkot means the end of political posturing and vying for power.  Rulership will be soundly in the hands of the King of kings.  There will be no end to the increase of His government or of shalom, and He will establish true justice and righteousness that will last forever.  The zeal of the LORD will accomplish this! (Is.9:7)

What do you look forward to in Future Sukkot?