(Updated from Nov 2007, when presented at Eschatology conference in Langensteinbacherhohe in Karlsruhe, Germany)
In light of all of the present conflict centered in the Middle East, and affecting all of the nations of the whole world, I think it is instructive (if not comfortable) to see that truly there is nothing new under the sun. What was, will be . . . only in greater and larger and visible measure. The nature and spirit of things have been with us since time immemorial, and shows itself in open hostility to the truth and the sovereignty of YHVH (even from within among the covenanted people — Jews and Christians), the God who created the heavens and the Earth and the seas, and all that is in them; the God who has chosen Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be the fathers of the people, Israel and the Jews, through whom He has planned from before time to bless the world through His chosen Seed and Son, Yeshua/Jesus, King of the Jews, and Savior of the world. He still calls in His long-suffering grace all people and persons everywhere to repent, and to be saved from His wrath to come on the Day of the LORD (YHVH).
The Church/Christianity, Israel/Judaism, and Islam
Gen 4:4—Abel: the righteousness which offers an acceptable sacrifice through faith
Gen 4:10–his shed blood cries out for justice
Heb 12:24–Yeshua’s blood speaks better things – forgiveness and salvation
Mt 18:21-22–Christians commanded to forgive 70×7 times per day
Gen 4:3-9—Cain: out of hatred and envy, murders his innocent and righteous brother, and refuses YHVH’s way back to God
Gen 4:10-14–unwilling and unable to carry the chastening and punishment for his guilt
4:15–the gracious and compassionate true God who desires that sinners come to repentance promises to protect Cain and to avenge his blood – should anyone kill him – seven times
4:16-17–Cain goes out in his own way to prove his capabilities and his own sense of worth and righteousness, without accepting God’s favor upon his brother
Gen 4:19-24—Lamech: arrogant self-righteousness
–takes for himself multiple wives
–knowing the truth about Cain and Abel and YHVH – claiming for himself the justification of killing a young man for injuring him, and daring anyone from acting justly against him by threatening vengeance 77 times
Ex 5:2; Ps 83:16-18–Who is YHVH, that I should fear and obey Him?
Gen 27:41; Heb 12:15-17 —Esau: wants to kill his brother Jacob, out of envy and a bitter root, and take back the inheritance, which he despised
1Jn 2:22a–Judaism rejects Yeshua as Messiah and as the Son of God (with all that that implies).
1Jn 2:22b–Islam denies God as Father and therefore as having any Son or children. (Could it be that Lamech killed one of his own sons?)
–Jews and Christians carry much responsibility for the strength of Islam: we are witnesses of the one, true, living God, and have fallen short in accepting that honor!
–unbelief in the Bible as the Word of God
–unbelief in YHVH as the only true triune God, excluding all others
–unbelief in the truth of Messiah as being only in Yeshua/Jesus (anointed Prophet, High Priest, King of kings)
–unbelief in salvation by any other way other than God’s grace through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross, and in His resurrection on the third day
Lamech Gen 4:19-24 spirit of vengeance and self-importance
Amalek Num 24:20; Dt 25:17-19 a strong nation and spirit that preys on the tired and weary people of YHVH God; once first among the nations, but will be last till he perishes, as YHVH promises that His people will blot out that nation and memory
–a descendant of Esau, one of the two nations, two peoples — and being referred to as the stronger one — in Rebecca’s womb with his fraternal twin, brother, Jacob.
‘Yeshu’ Talmudic acronym curse against Yeshua, meaning, “may His name and memory be blotted out”
Intifada Gen 27:40; Ps 83:2-4 (Eng) Arab and Islamic uprising to overthrow the yoke; ‘let us cut off the name of Israel from being a nation anymore’
—in last days, this began to come to the surface in the years following the Balfour Declaration in November, 1917, and picked up momemtum during the first intifada which began in 1987.
Ps 83:5-8 (Eng)– these are all Islamic nations today (but not all are Arab in origin)
Yad L’Achim (an anti-missionary/evangelical organization in Israel), motivated by Dt 13; Mt 26:59-66 false prophet and blasphemer deserving of death, and also to those who follow after him or who try to get others to follow after him to worship other gods; ‘Yeshu’; they still do not know what they are doing against the Messiah and His followers, especially within the State of Israel
What, then, do we and the world have to look forward to, given that everyone – YHVH, Edomites, Jews, Muslims – has declared their intention to blot out the name and memory of their enemy and/or their fellow man?:
Mt 24:21-25 For then [after the abomination of desolation by the antichrist] there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect’s sake, those days will be shortened. . . .See, I (Yeshua) have told you beforehand.
Mt 24: 29-31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the Earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
We are commissioned with taking the gospel to all peoples, and we have also been called to share/fellowship in the sufferings of Messiah in the power of His resurrection. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
