The Jewish people will celebrate the holiday of Purim in a few days. God did not appoint this celebration, but the leaders of the people gave it to the people, and we can remember that God is faithful to protect and to deliver His covenanted people, wherever we are, from those who want to wipe us out, even when we are unfaithful to YHVH our God. As Haman’s wife told him: if Mordecai is a Jew, you will not prevail against him, but will fall before him. (Est 6:13) There is still hope, because our God – the one true God – keeps His covenants. (Judges 2:1; Is 28:14-22)
Do you have hope? God has spoken, and is doing what He says, and will do what must be done to get the results that He wants. Jesus Christ died and rose again, and He will return at the Father’s appointed time as He promised: this gives hope to every one who believes!
–sovereignty of YHVH God and free will of man, whom He created in His image
–impossible for us created beings to figure out how this is actually true, and that
everything works out just as God planned and purposed it; example, the crucifixion
—Rom 13:1-7; 1Tim 2:1-6 all authorities and governments put in power by God, regardless of form, and we are to subject ourselves to them with respect
Zech 14:1-4 God will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for judgment
Rom 11:25-36; Zech 12:10-14; Lev 16:40-45 Israel enemy of gospel, and beloved for the fathers, that more Gentiles be saved before Israel sees Him whom they pierced
God’s sovereignty, man’s free will: democracy exalts man’s free will; God’s will shall be done, and according to His plan and time ; not comprehensible to our minds, but praise the Lord that it is true!
Dan 9:24-27; Rev 11:1-2 sacrifices will begin, that the antichrist will allow at first, but then cause them to cease, before committing the abomination of desolation; there will be a ‘temple’ of some sort and size for these sacrifices and offerings
Mt 10:27-42; Mic 7:5-7 sheep among wolves; civil war, even within families
Mt 5:43-48 Love your enemy; bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you; pray for those who exploit you and persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven.
For the first time, Israel has a majority right-wing coalition that will not be dependent on leftist and secular parties, or on the Arab parties. (I am not bringing a partisan political message here; the gospel is not partisan, but a call to all. Yet, it will cause a separation between those who repent and believe it, and between those who do not.) The previous government coalition depended upon an Arab Islamic party that does not recognize Israel as the sovereign Jewish state for the Jewish people. But there is also one of the orthodox Jewish parties as part of this coalition that is non-Zionist, meaning that they do not recognize the validity of the current sovereign nation because “the Messiah has not yet come”. Neither one of these parties should be in the government, since neither recognizes the country that they are living in! But we know that the Messiah has come, and that is why there is a country today, as YHVH God is keeping His covenant promises for His holy name’s sake. (Ezek 36) When Yeshua the Messiah comes again, then Israel will be truly the Israel of God: they will be His holy people, and YHVH will be their God. And all of the nations of the world be benefit from Israel’s salvation. (Rom 11: 13-15)
As a people, we (the chosen people Israel/Jews) rejected YHVH from being our King in the days of Samuel the prophet. We wanted a king like the Gentiles have, and that is still what is generally preferred among the people today. God is bringing many Gentiles into His kingdom, meanwhile, all the while that He is carrying out His plan to restore a full remnant of “all Israel” to Himself; but it is even better to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God today, than to hope that they might be among the remnant that is preserved and saved.
Israel’s current government is drawing the ire within the nation, as well as drawing hardening reactions by the world nations and bodies. The hearts of many are being tested and exposed towards YHVH’s chosen and visible people.
This right-wing coalition may be (but not necessarily) the one that enables something that Yeshua/Jesus says must happen, and is referenced in the Book of Daniel the Prophet, by the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians, by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation: a resumption of daily evening and morning sacrifices in the end-times of the last days, which the Antichrist will eventually put an end to, and then commits the abomination of desolation. (Dan 8:8-19) All of this is prophesied, but none of this, imho, is for real believers to aid or assist or participate in. The Lord also tells us that many people are going to hell, but it is not for us to help them get there. If any born-again believer participates in the sacrifices, he will be seen as agreeing that Yeshua’s/Jesus’ once-for-all-sacrifice for sin is not enough, and that we, too, need the blood of animals to cleanse us from our guilt before God. Our mission is to evangelize, so that as many Jews as will — especially in this scenario — can be saved.
The reason these matters are of present concern is because the days are nearing when these prophesied events are going to take place. These things were not so “relevant” before now, and so were barely noticed or mentioned. The Holy Spirit was not bringing these things to mind which the Lord spoke and taught because “the time was not yet”. And, as even possibly now, there are often false starts, when an expectation was frustrated because it was only a distraction or a diversion. This coalition may itself fall, but the intent is out in the open. What will come may seem “sudden”, but the signs have already been manifesting for some time. This is like someone who has a sudden heart-attack, but the symptoms of the problem were already warning of trouble. At other times, it comes without warning, and only after the attack and surgery – if we survive it — the doctors tell us that our main artery was clogged 90%, yet we never knew it. Or someone finds out that she has stage-4 cancer: where were stages 1,2, and 3!? The Israeli authorities know that a major earthquake is coming – not if, but when — but they are not really preparing for it. The Lord tells us to be watchful, to pray, and to be ready at any and all times for the things which must take place, so that our hearts will not be troubled, but abide in His peace and rest.
The Scriptures and the sayings of the Prophets are more and more coming to pass in our day, and it is for us to understand the times in which we live, and to seek the mind of the Messiah as what the Body of Christ should do. The current government coalition has a strong element that does believe that the Jewish people need to offer sacrifices to God on the Temple Mount. A government is in place that is already bringing many people and nations to express their anger and hatred towards them. Our liberal liberties will very likely be restricted, such as Shabbat laws, kosher licensing, immigration of many of Jewish heritage, but who do not identify as Jews in the manner that the religious establishment accepts. God will test us in how we relate to the civil authorities, and in how we will trust Him to fulfill HIS plan and covenantal promises. Praise the LORD!
The more Jewish the Jewish state becomes, the more difficult the authorities will make it for believers in Yeshua/Jesus. Religion and democracy do not align at some point(s); and the clash is expressing itself more openly and aggressively not. (Let us remember that when the Lord returns, He will restore the Kingdom [of YHVH God] to Israel.) We ought to pray with faith that the “way-maker” will make a way for more Jewish believers to be able to immigrate, and for the believers to continue to publicly and securely worship together in person, and for the gospel to continue to be lawfully preached, and for believers to be willing to suffer for Messiah’s sake. (Phlp 1:27-30)
Jerusalem is the city of the great King — Yeshua the Messiah, Son of David. That day will come when He will sit on the throne of His glory in this Jerusalem, in fulfillment of the covenant promises made to David (Mt 25:31-34); but presently, this holy, set apart Capital of Israel has the spirit of Sodom and Egypt. (Rev 11) It is clearly not for now the spiritual center for the Body of Messiah, but of the coming Antichrist. Our prayers are directed to the Jerusalem above, wherever we may be living, and not to a wall.
Should this affect our prayers and support for the nation of Israel? It depends on how you already may be praying and supporting Israel as a nation. As just noted from the Revelation, God knows about the present spiritual reality on the ground. The more Jewish that the Jewish state of the Jewish people becomes, the more difficult and challenging it will become for the believers in Yeshua/Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God (with all that that means). We need to pray and to support one another to be overcomers in trusting and obeying our Lord under such circumstances. Our support for Israel and the Israeli Jewish people cannot be based upon sentiment or guilt, but must be grounded in the heart’s desire to see the sanctity of our Father’s name, and of His Messiah — His beloved Son — who came as a Jew in particular, and as a human being in general, in order that YHVH God would be our Redeemer and Savior. An angel — even the Angel of YHVH — could not accomplish this; but He had to take on flesh and blood so that He could actually die on that cross.
The Jewish religious nationalists — similar, probably, to Simon the Zealot, whom Jesus chose to be one of His 12 apostles — are going to try to move things along, which the Scriptures have foretold, even though they are probably not aware really that this is in the New Testament, and in the Book of Daniel, both of which they do not now respect as the Word of the God of Israel, whom they claim to serve. Yeshua is sovereign (Mt 28:18-20), and things are unfolding in accord with the will and purpose of God.
For you who are Gentile believers, Israel’s religious “zeal” serves at least two purposes that come to my mind for now: first, that more Gentiles can still be saved, get a new heart and new spirit/Spirit, in order to show mercy to the Jewish people and to the nation; and to provoke them to jealousy for their God and King whom you know. (Rom 10:14-21; 11:28-32) Secondly, because of seeking to take the kingdom by force by their own might and power and self-righteousness — and being that they represent the God of Israel who chose them — all nations of the world will be drawn by YHVH against them. This will be His righteous chastisement and final “plague” and calamity against His own people for their sin against Him that they might call upon the name of the only One who will save them (Joel 2:32; Acts 4:8-12); and that He will judge and destroy those nations that are against His sovereignty to choose whom He will, and pledged with an oath to protect them from their enemies bent on their destruction in their resentment and hatred of Him – the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob — who chose them to His special people among all the nations in the world.
A question for us: are we willing to be hated because of our faith in Jesus/Yeshua, and have everyone turn against us? (Mt 24:8-14)
Have mercy on Israel; pray for many more Jewish people to be saved “today”, including among those in authority; pray for many Arabs and many Muslims (from whatever people group) to be saved “today”; pray for your own countrymen to repent and be saved, and for professing believers to return to their first love; pray that your hearts will not be troubled as things “heat up”.
Our hope is in God through Jesus Christ. His love for us, and ours for Him, is what will motivate us to remain faithful for His sake, even if it costs us even our families, or our own lives. Our blessed hope is in the resurrection of the dead as believers in Him when Jesus returns, looking ahead to live with Him forever in the perfect new creation that God has promised for those who love Him. (2Pt 3:10-14; Rev 21)
God wants us to abide in His word, and walk along His narrow way, and not take a right vs left view of it. Everyone, especially on political and social issues, is “speaking his mind”, and there is more and more polarization. If any of you have the right to vote in your own country, vote your conscience for the person or party that you think best reflects the interests of our holy and righteous God; but in any case, pray, while you are voting, for Jesus to return. He is our unity, even if we disagree politically or socially; He is our righteousness. As believers, we need to call upon the name of Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah, looking unto Him to come to bring God’s righteous kingdom to Earth. For those of you who love Israel for the Lord’s sake, do not let the current conflict over the future of the country deter you from supporting the will and purpose of God for the people, whom YHVH has uniquely chosen for Himself to become His holy and righteous people, and for Him to be their God. The Father’s holy and righteous name is what is at stake, as He sovereignly carries out His plan of redemption, not for Israel only, but for people from every tribe, language, nation, and ethnic group.
For those of you who think that Israel as a nation is a terrible mistake, or is irrelevant to God’s plan, I would ask you to read the Scriptures more carefully, and repent of your unbelief. None of us was saved because we were righteous, but by the grace and mercies of God. So, too, will be the salvation of “all Israel”, which will bring life from the dead to the world! Many are seeking for the true God, blind to the truth that Yeshua is His Son. Many want righteousness and peace, but refuse to believe that they are found in Jesus Christ. This is a time not to give up evangelizing, but to be more ready than ever to humbly and confidently speak the truth in love to the Jewish people, and to the Arab people, and to any others. Let’s close this with what the Apostle Paul writes to us:
Rom 11:25-36
