The wicked witch is dead!

Yayha Sinwar is dead. Both his first name and family name (Englishly speaking) bring up interesting associations: Yay! Ha! Sin; War.  

Killed not in a planned operation by the Israeli army with an elite units, but by regular young soldiers who didn’t even know that it was him until after they had killed him on Wednesday in Rafiah, Gaza, where the US government in particular had even threatened Israel not to enter some months ago.  

Sinwar was the mastermind behind the evil invasion and attack into Israel last year on Oct 7, the last day of the major holiday of Sukkot/Feast of Booths/Tabernacles. That last day was both a regular Sabbath and also the final day of the Feast, which is also a Sabbath. The last day of the feast in Judaism is called the Joy of the Torah/Simchat Torah. Sadly, on that very holy day there were many celebrating a very unholy and ungodly party, and many were brutally murdered, kidnapped, dragged off to humiliation and torture inside Gaza, with over 100 still being held in captivity as hostages — both alive and already dead.  

Israel as individuals, families, soldiers, society has been gripped by trauma, social and political division, many opinions, heavy-weighted decisions by the political and military leaders for more than a year since the outbreak of the war, and many months leading up to it. What Sinwar and Hamas, Nasrallah and Hezbollah, started at the end of Israel’s “festive year” ended in both of their demise. Sinwar’s end came on the eve of the beginning of the same appointed Feast of YHVH, the Feast of Sukkot, that he began his genocidal aim on its last day one year ago. 

There is much satisfaction throughout most of Israel from this, even among those who are not in much agreement with the government or its war management. Even western world leaders are expressing that Sinwar was “brought to justice”, while at the same time calling on Israel to do what they have been continually requiring of Israel: stop now; do not fully defeat the outspoken enemy; give those who think that Israel’s very existence is a nakba/catastrophe a state of their own within the State that they want to see eliminated. This is not the “sound mind” that we, who believe the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, have been given. And you do not even need to be a believer in Jesus to have sound common sense about this! 

The hostages and their families are still very much uppermost in the hearts and minds of everyone. The world should insist that Hamas accept defeat, release every last one of the hostages, including those held for the last 10 years, no prisoner exchange or any other “deal” for them; and allow Israel access inside Gaza to locate and destroy every tunnel and dungeon that Hamas has built up to bring only death and misery to their own people, as well as to anyone living inside Israel.  

Biblically, the day will come — Come, Lord Jesus! — when Gaza will be part of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. The peace that everyone is seeking now will be a peace that the world gives. And just like every other hudna/ceasefire that Islamists ever make, the one which will involve the Antichrist will also be broken by them. Yet Israel, and the nations will be saying, “Peace, peace”, when it is not really so; and sudden destruction will come. Only the return of the Lord Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah, the Jewish people looking upon Him whom they pierced — with each and everyone afflicting their soul about it — and the salvation of all Israel at that time, will the righteousness of God bring the fruit of genuine peace, and the joy in the Holy Spirit to this world losing its moorings. Worship the one true God, and give Him glory!