When we hear the word ‘gospel’ today, we tend to think of the basic message of Christianity; namely that mankind is separated from God through sin and that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin through His death, burial and resurrection.
Israel is celebrating her 70th birthday this year. What Israel has achieved and in 70 years is nothing short of astounding. Incredible. MIRACULOUS! That’s not a word I use much, but I use it regularly when I talk about Israel. As we celebrate Israel’s 70th birthday, remember to honour God for keeping His promises to His people and for fulfilling His Word. Many are aware of the passage in Isaiah about a nation being born in day. “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.” – Isaiah 66:8 We read that and cheer loudly; “Yes, a land was born in one day! Yes, Israel was born on May 14, 1948. Praise God!” This is a correct response, the rebirth of the Sovereign State of Israel in May, 1948 was indeed the fulfilment of Isaiah 66:8, but I want to dig a little deeper to show you something even more astounding, even more miraculous—if that’s even possible. Isaiah 66:7-8, “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she […]
Israel is under an extremely serious, persistent & fanatical threat of total annihilation. Very few people, including most Christians, seem concerned about this, giving neither sympathy or support to Israel and her future. But God is extremely concerned about it. Ignoring Israel at this time will certainly incur God’s powerful wrath. The present situation particularly, in the Middle East, is one of complicated uncertainty. However, two things are certain to happen. Firstly, the predicted attack will happen and secondly, Almighty God will definitely intervene to rescue Israel from intended destruction. What I share with you here is not set in concrete in my own mind. I am still quietly waiting on the Lord for more light, revelation and further understanding on this supremely important subject. However, I definitely believe this state of affairs is worthy of our closest possible investigation. I earnestly invite you to join me in this exploration. Please carefully and honestly study Zechariah 12, particularly verse 10, and also Psalm 83. Ask God to give you clear revelation and understanding of these amazing prophecies given some 3,600 years ago. The fact that they are so vitally accurate after all these years gives extra credibility to them. They […]
For those of us who believe that the Word of God is the final authority regarding all matters of life, Godliness and indeed the prophetic Word regarding Israel, God’s chosen people, we need not be confused about God’s will regarding the land of Israel and particularly that piece of land known as the West Bank or more correctly as Biblical Judea and Samaria. The West Bank The UN and the nations generally, call this area, variously, the West Bank or Palestine and refer to it as ‘occupied’ territory. There was a time when it was called disputed territory, but it seems that is not still the case. How should we view this ‘disputed’ territory as Bible believing Christians? From the time of Abram receiving the Promise of eternal inheritance as a land defined extending from the Great Sea (Mediterranean) to the Dead Sea and from the river of Egypt to the Great River Euphrates much has taken place. (Genesis 15:18 & Joshua 1:4.) Israel’s long history in the land cannot be disputed, even though some would try. From Abraham until exile in 70 CE is well over 2000 years of continuous residency in the land not forgetting those who remained […]
The Netanyahu government is receiving broad political support for a proposed new national holiday celebrating ‘aliyah’ or Jewish immigration to the land of Israel. The motion will set aside the 10th of Nissan to honour the crucial role of aliyah both in the re-birth and in the ongoing strengthening of the nation of Israel. The 10th of Nissan was chosen as many Rabbis believe it marks the date the ancient Israelites first entered the Promised Land under Joshua. While this is interesting, I believe that establishing the holiday on this particular day also has a significant connection to Bible prophecy. 2600 years ago, the prophet Jeremiah predicted that a day would come when the original Exodus from Egypt would be overshadowed by a far greater Exodus ‘from the land of the north and from all the lands’ (Jer 16:14-16). It is therefore very interesting to note that this new annual celebration of the modern day return of the Jewish people falls four days prior to Passover on the Jewish calendar. Is the stage being set for a celebration of a greater Exodus that will literally overshadow Passover celebrations? The Miraculous Modern Day Exodus National Aliyah Day will be a time […]
Purpose of this article: To communicate to Aussie and Kiwi Christians who wish to stand with God’s purposes for Israel the importance of being ‘spiritual anzacs’—plugged into the battle for the Land – and pointing to the tie-in with the upcoming elections in Australia. The four years encompassing the 100th anniversarof the Great War (2014 to 2018) have seen a marked growth of pride in the legacy of the ANZACs among young and old Australians and New Zealanders alike. Widely held is the perception that these countries were forged into nations in the terrible furnace of World War 1. By many accounts, ANZAC Day has become a more patriotic event than Australia Day and Waitangi Day respectively. Christians have hardly been immune, and a growing number also hold a Biblical perspective on the subject. Quoting Genesis 12:3—the foundational principle pertinent to those who bless the seed of Abraham—they ascribe the prosperity and peace experienced by their nations since the 1920s to the heroic fighting and sacrifices of the men of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps; specifically to the fact that their diggers formed the point of the British Empire spear that liberated Israel’s land from centuries of Islamic […]
Deep inside a bleak and arid wilderness, rearing up from the cracked limestone foundations of the lowest place on earth, its ragged walls aloof and separated from the mountain range behind it, the awe-inspiring natural rock fortress of Masada towers over the Dead Sea Valley floor. One thousand nine hundred and forty three years ago, at the dramatic height of its history, Masada marked the last stand of the Jewish people. Or so it surely seemed at the time. For the fewer than 1000 souls atop the mountain, as they watched the inexorable ascent of the Roman ramp that heralded captivity or death, it was all over. From Judea through Samaria, to the faraway hills and valleys of the north, their land smouldered in ruins. During five years of brutal revolt and brutal suppression, Rome had laid Israel waste. Jewish blood reddened the Mediterranean; their corpses choked the Galilee Sea; Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, had been taken, the houses rifled, the women ravished; the God of Israel’s Temple had been burned to the ground. Masada is a colossal memorial to the destruction of a nation – the tombstone of ancient Israel. That such a place, a marker of such apparent finality […]
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven…” The words of Jesus (Yeshua) in Matthew 5:17-19 NKJV What do we understand about the Jewish or Hebraic Roots of Christianity? Having grown up in a Gentile Christian home and preparing for ministry in a Gentile Christian church, little thought was given to the context of the early church in its Jewishness and Torah observance. After all, the only available scripture in the 1st century was the Hebrew Scriptures as we know them. It wasn’t until about 30 years ago that I realised the significance of the destiny of Israel in the light of Bible prophecy and a short time later the significance of the early church being totally Jewish […]
Did you know at least one Arab source declares Israel has just seven years before being wiped off the map? Bassam Jarrar, a Palestinian Sunni Islamic scholar published ‘End of Israel 2022’ in Arabic. It was translated by discoveringislam.org Jarrar wrote the rst draft of his book in Lebanon, after being deported from Israel in 1993. He wrote: ‘Arab Muslims will re-enter the Al-Aqsa mosque for a second time, after destroying the Jewish state… the rst temple was destroyed in 586 BC… the forces that will re-enter Jerusalem will destroy, kill and tear apart everything that comes under their control.’ While some will interpret scriptures and events to suit a particular agenda the late Derek Prince said: ‘One of the major themes of Biblical prophecy is the destiny of Israel. From the birth of Israel as a nation to the final consummation of her destiny, every major stage has been predicted by her own prophets.’ (Prophetic Destinies, Derek Prince, Creation House.) Jesus said He will return to Jerusalem, His holy city. (Luke 21:24) So we can be certain Jerusalem remains and is in Jewish hands on that great and awesome day. Years ago a Syrian journalist interviewed on Palestinian Authority […]
What exactly is ‘stringing pearls’? Yeshua taught from the Old Covenant Scriptures and He used techniques that were common practice by Rabbis and teachers for hundreds of years. One of those techniques (stringing pearls) was called ‘Gezerah Shevah’ or ‘Comparison of Equals’ which basically means that a passage of Scripture can expand on another passage of Scripture if they share the same word. In other words, Scripture interprets Scripture. Chuck Missler has referred to this as ‘expositional constancy’. So as part of their study practice, Rabbis would look for places in the Bible where the same words were used and then see if and how they might be connected. They must never contradict each other or undermine the plain meaning of the text because God would never undermine His own Word. The connection is from the Hebrew rather than the English rendering. Yeshua ‘stringing pearls’. When Yeshua was asked by a young Pharisee which was the greatest commandment in the Torah, He responded by saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as […]