A Heart and Soul matter
Jerusalem: everyone has an opinion. As a Christian, have you fallen out with God?
Shalom from Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal capital! Last year ended with political fireworks! On December 6th US President Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, advancing the fulfillment of Zechariah 12:2-3.
Having often cited these verses, we were not too surprised, but it is imperative for us to remember that it is not Trump, or Israeli Prime Minister [PM] Bibi Netanyahu, or religious Jews or Christian Zionists, who make Jerusalem a target; it is our Creator God (12:1). He brings His plans to pass in His time, regardless of man’s plans. (Ps. 33:10-11) “Behold, I, [YHWH], make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the peoples all around…”Most of Israel’s Arab neighbors despise Jerusalem remaining under Jewish sovereignty. “In that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples. All who lift it shall be cut to pieces, though all nations of the earth will gather together against it.” (Zech. 12:2-3) Today, this is occurring in the geo-political realm; in the future in actual combat, yet note God’s decree: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to utterly annihilate all nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zech. 12:9)
Jerusalem as God sees it
Israel’s reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 was God using His city to challenge the nations and spiritual powers. This is where He has set His name (Deut. 16:11; 1 Ki. 8:29; Isa. 18:7) and where God the Son, the King of the Jews, died for the sins of the world (Luke 13:33). Here He was buried and resurrected. From here He ascended to heaven, and to here He will return (Acts 1:9-12). God’s indwelling Spirit shows us why the god of this age hates this city. As God’s enemy, Satan hates all that God loves – which includes Zion (Ps. 87:2), the nation of Israel, the Jewish people (Deut. 7:7-8), the true Church (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 5:2) and the unsaved sinner (John 3:16).
Satan, who knows God’s Word, knows that Messiah’s return to the Mount of Olivesspells the end of his pseudo-reign over the affairs of man (Zech. 14:2-4; Rev. 19:11-16; 19:21-20:3). Ultimately, New Jerusalem will descend from heaven as God’s capital city on a new earth. From there King Messiah will reign with His Bride, the Overcomers (Rev. 21:1-11). That is a surety. How we get from here to there is one of the reasons He calls us to pray – so that His kingdom comes and His will is done, with as much mercy as possible (Luke 11:2; Ezek. 22:30).
US President recognizes ‘reality’
Most of this report deals with the huge global, political and prophetic effects of Trump and his “Jerusalem decision.” Why was world reaction so vehement? Trump made no decision on the city’s final borders, but left that to be decided by Israel and the Palestinians. Still, the demonic realm was stirred up. There is nothing new under the sun(Eccl. 1:9b). “When Sanballat…and Tobiah…heard, it grieved them greatly that a man came to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.”(Neh. 2:10) We rejoice at Trump’s words, yet as faith without works is dead, so are words without actions. We pray for Trump and his team to follow up his words with actions in line with God’s Word.
Senior US administration officials told reporters before his speech that Trump’s recognition of “Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” is recognition “of the historical reality that Jerusalem has been the center of Jewish faith for thousands of years,”and is today where all “government ministries, the Supreme Court and central authorities” are located. They told the Palestinian Authority [PA], “Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for seven decades now…This recognition of reality should not affect the peace process.” (“Trump to recognize Jerusalem, order embassy move,” Arutz 7, 6 Dec. 2017)
Jordan’s King Abdullah warned Trump of “the danger of taking any decision outside the context of a comprehensive solution that establishes a Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem.” So he has his mind made up. He added, “Jerusalem is the key to achieving peace and stability in the region and the world.” While this is not true geo-politically, it is true biblically! (“Trump tells Jordanian King US embassy to be moved,” Arutz 7, 6 Dec. 2017)
Trump’s Jerusalem speech
Excerpts from his speech, with our main comments in brackets: “In 1995, Congress adopted theJerusalem Embassy Act, urging the federal government to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize that city as Israel’s capital. Since then every president has exercised the law’s waiver, thinking that by delaying this, it “would advance the cause of peace.” Yet today “we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement…It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result.”
“Therefore…it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel…This is a long-overdue step to advance the peace process…”[We pray this becomes the death of this antibiblical “divide-God’s-land-for-peace” process.] “Israel is a sovereign nation with the right like every other sovereign nation to determine its own capital.” [Amen! Yet it is not Israel who has chosen Jerusalem; this is God’s city which He has given to His people (2 Chr. 6:6; Psa. 132:13; Zech. 3:2).]
“In 1948, the US was the first nation that recognized the State of Israel. Since then, Israel has declared Jerusalem as its capital, the capital the Jewish people established in ancient times.”[Trump said Jerusalem is “the heart of three great religions,”yet only Judaism and Christianity see it as central to their faith. To Islam, it is the 3rd holiest city and not named once in the Quran.] “Jerusalem…must remain a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross, and where Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque.”[Someday it will be free from the anti-Christ spirit that rules in Islam and over the Temple Mount.] “Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. This is nothing more, or less, than recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do.”
He ordered the US State Dept. to move the US embassy from Tel Avivto Jerusalem, stressing that this “is not intended… to reflect a departure from our strong commitment to facilitate a lasting peace agreement…We are not taking a position of any final status issues, including specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, or the resolution of contested borders. Those questions are up to the parties involved.” [Since Trump clarified his intentions, so there was no reason to riot, or have UN resolutions, or threaten the US or Israel. Yet touching this city’s prophetic fulfillment draws an immediate response full of rage from the Adversary (Psa. 2:1-6).] “The US remains deeply committed to helping facilitate a peace agreement,” and will “support a two-state solution if agreed to by both sides.”[As the Palestinians have already rejected this, efforts towards this goal are in vain (Job 35:13; Psalm 2:1; Eccl. 1:2).] (“…Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem and ME peace,” JP, 6 Dec. 2017) Israel Hayom’s Nadav Shragairecalled that Israel’s first PM David Ben-Gurion decided that Jerusalem was modern Israel’s capital. While he viewed international recognition as important, yet he said to another government minister, “If we face a choice between leaving Jerusalem and leaving the UN, let us leave the UN.”He also said that no law or declaration was needed for Jerusalem to be declared Israel’s capital, as the “work was done for us by King David 3,000 years ago.” (“Trump’s Jerusalem,” N. Shragai, Israel Hayom Op-ed, 8 Dec. 2017)
Answers to intercession?
Most of our prayers for Israel are not answered quickly – some not even in our lifetimes. They require “faith and patience”to see answers (Heb. 6:12). Recently, there were some encouraging signs for which we praise God and press on in prayer for the fulfillment.
Peace Process:
Is this the end of the zombie”land-for-peace” process? Abbas is very clear that he no longer sees the US as an honest, unbiased broker, and has said the PA will reject “any peace plan proposed” by America, even if it is supported by “Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt.” (“Palestinians: Arab Rulers are Traitors, Cowards,” Khaled Abu Toameh, Gatestone Institute, 14 Dec. 2017)
As of this writing, White House officials said the administration “has abandoned plans to offer a new framework for peace talks”because of the PA ‘s outrageous reaction to Trump’s Jerusalem move. An unnamed official said while the US was still committed to this, it would not force either side to the table. (“Report: Trump nixes ME peace plan after PA walks out,” Arutz 7, 25 Dec. 2017)
Iran: At the end of 2017, it was reported that “Israel and the US have devised a secret strategic plan to combat the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and its presence in Syria near Israel…” In Washington, “an Israeli delegation secretly met with an American team…to formulate a joint memorandum of understanding on the topic of Iran.” The agreed upon document translates Trump’s Oct. 13 decertification of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, “into a concrete plan of action…”Some threats that a joint task force will work on include “Iran’s growing presence in Syria,”with positions close to Israel, “and Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which both Israel and the US view as a clear threat.” Also agreed on was continued “covert cooperation”to halt “Iranian aggression”and Iran’s support for Hezbollah. (“Report: Israel, US devise secret plan to curb Iran threat,” Israel Hayom, 29 Dec. 2017)
The recent upheaval in Iranian society is a partial answer to our persistent prayers for God to shake that Shi’ite nation physically, spiritually, socially and politically. Note the timing: On Dec. 27th, “The Iranian parliament”voted 207 to none, to approve a plan requiring “the government of Iran to recognize Jerusalem as the permanent capital of the Palestinian people… (“Iranian Parliament recognizes Jerusalem as ‘Capital of Palestine'” JP, 27 Dec. 2017)
The very next day protests started in Iran’s second largest city, and spread rapidly to other locations, including its capital Tehran, and the holy city of Qom. Iranians were not only protesting harsh economic situations – although that is what most Western media said. Iranian expert M. Amir, former head of Israel Broadcasting Authority‘s Persian language division, said that in 2009, Iranians protested “fraudulent presidential election results,” with rallies confined to Tehran and “suppressed with extreme brutality.”
Now protesters openly call “for the leader to be removed and the regime to fall.” They want work and food, and also demand a halt to “financial support for Hezbollah, Hamas and the…Syrian regime, while brazenly…calling for the regime’s demise,” with cries of “‘Death to the dictator,”Khamenei [Iran’s Supreme leader] next,’ ‘Leave Syria and take care of the Iranian people’, ‘Let go of Palestine,’ and ‘Not Gaza, not Lebanon, I’d give my life only for Iran’.” (“This time it’s serious,” M. Amir, Israel Hayom Op-ed, 31 Dec. 2017)
Judea & Samaria:
“After decades of rejected peace offers, Netanyahu’s Likud party unanimously urged legislators…[to] annex Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria.” The settlements are currently under military law which holds them back from many construction projects. Knesset Speaker Edelsteinsaid, “We are going to stop apologizing and are going to say outright that this land is our land.” Instead of giving it away, “we are going to simply build in Judea and Samaria, in the Golan Heights and the Galilee and the Negev.” (“In symbolic vote, Likud votes for de facto annexation of settlements,” Israel Hayom, 1 Jan. 2018)
The above are partial answers to prayer which embolden us to press on interceding until we see their fulfillment – with the goal being the manifestation of God’s glory (Psa. 115:1-3).
A challenge
God is fulfilling His declared will boldly before the world. “Yes, I will rejoice over them [exiled Israel] to do them good, and I Will plant them in this land in truth with My whole heart and with My whole soul.” (Jer. 32:41). Verses 42-44 then describe the geographical area, which is all the land west of the Jordan River.
As this is the only place in Scripture where God commits to doing something with His whole heart and soul, how can any of His born-again children resist this, or even be lukewarm over the issue of Israel? This would grieve the Holy Spirit. We urge you to stand with what God is doing – with all of your heart and soul.