Israel at the heart of the battle

The summer has officially begun, and, by the end of it, Israel will still not be saved. (Jer 8:20-22) The fullness of the Gentiles has still not come in; the gospel of the Kingdom has still not yet gone out to all (angels will finish that work [Rev 14:6-7]; Jacob’s Trouble has still not come; the Day of YHVH has still not come. The Summer wheat harvest is still in prophetic progress, making way for the fullness of the fruit harvest at the end of the age. The firstfruits of the resurrection of the Lord and Messiah is gaining others born-again by the Holy Spirit, placing us in Him; and then comes the full harvest at the end of the age, with fruit that our holy Father and Lord loves.

Hezbollah in Lebanon is threatening a war against Israel ‘without rules’: They are already shooting at private homes in the north, most of which are abandoned by the residents who have had to flee the area. 

Does this surprise anyone? Since when do lawless terrorists “play, or make war”, according to established rules and law? Does Hamas wage war according to international rules and law? Are any “world powers” demanding it of them, or threatening them to prevent them from fighting genocidal war on their own lawless terms? But woe to Israel for failing in any detail of “civilized” warfare!! Woe to the God of Israel who is considered the devil, while people serve Satan against the sovereign and holy Creator, who is also the only Savior! Those who have some understanding of the times understand that now is not the time for Israel to be brought “to the point of death”. The Great Tribulation/Jacob’s Trouble will accomplish that, bringing the remnant that will be “all Israel” to cry upon the name of the Lord Yeshua/YHVH to deliver and save them from death and destruction, except that the covenant-keeping God, who alone really loves His chosen people, intervenes, as He has promised, to save those who call upon His Name. 

Yeshua/Jesus was obedient to death, even the death of the cross. The Jewish people, not obedient, will be brought to the point of death, like Isaac, in whom Abraham’s seed will be called:  life from the dead!  Abraham believed in God’s faithfulness and power to raise up the beloved chosen son from death had he actually killed him as a sacrifice: Isaac was brought to the point of death, and he somehow allowed himself to go through it! Without faith, we cannot please God.

Last week I was in Cyprus for a very important and stimulating conference, including former Muslims from N. Africa, Christian Arab pastors from Israel, Messianic Jewish pastors from Israel, Jordanians, Egyptians, and a sizeable group from Taiwan, mostly intercessors. The theme of the conference and seminars was, “Why is Israel important for the Kingdom of God?”, and the destructive heresy of replacement theology, which is weakening and destroying the church’s testimony of the faithfulness of the one, true, living covenant-keeping God. The most informative teachings for me were given by Yassir Eric, a Sudanese who was brought up in fanatical Islam (now living in Germany, and his grandfather was the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan).  

Some of you may have seen or heard his testimony, and the story of him hating and almost killing a Christian named Zecharia. Whether you have or have not, I fully recommend looking Yassir up on the internet and learning from him about Islam. He has a humble spirit, but he is very strong in his denouncement of the political religion that is Islam, and that it fundamentally cannot co-exist with any other religion, or with Jews and Christians. It demands submission (which is what Islam means), and cannot accept peace with anyone other than with other fanatical Muslims — “good” Muslims. It is terrible, yet the world is requiring Israel to make peace with it, and we see that this only emboldens those who are out to destroy Jews and disciples of Jesus and the nation of Israel, and the whole world with them. Yassir believes that Christians today have no excuse not to understand this, and believe that compromise of the faith is acceptable. I believe that it is becoming more apparent that the fourth beast and kingdom described in the book of Daniel the Prophet, and in Revelation, is Islam. Read about its characteristics and acts in those books, and consider it yourselves.

The fellowship with the other brothers and sisters at the conference was rich and stimulating. There were a couple of pastors that I am aware of at the conference who are still not firm in their understanding of how important Israel really is. It seems that only those who are uncertain about whether Jesus/Yeshua is actually coming again personally to rule and reign for 1000 years have a problem, or waver, regarding Israel’s significance to God’s Kingdom, to the church, and for the nations, for the entire creation. (Jer 31:35-37; 33:17-26; Rom 9 – 11) Even so, come, Lord Jesus!