As the Passover season of deliverance approaches, the world focuses on the Middle East. Chemical warfare near Idlib targeted civilians, causing the gruesome death of nearly 100 (including lots of children) and the injury of more than 500. The cruelty and carnage shake the souls of all who see video footage of the casualties. Syrian fighter-bombers involved in that incident (and operating under a protective Russian military umbrella) were destroyed …Read More
“The kings of the earth are taking their positions”
Psalm 2 describes a dynamic in history that is coming to a high point in our day. The nations are in an uproar over the Jewish people and over their capital city Zion (2:1). They ‘rage against the machine’ – they gnash their teeth at God’s strategy in choosing Jerusalem (synonymous with Zion – Psalm 51:18; 102:21; 128:5; 135:21; 147:12; Isaiah 4:4; 10:12; 24:23; 31:9; 37:32; 40:9; 41:27; 52:1-2; 62:2; …Read More
Robbing Jacob
One of the pillars of morality for the human race is found in Leviticus 19:11-12: “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am YHVH” (Leviticus 19:11-12). God connects robbery to dealing falsely and to lying to one another. Robbing Jacob in Genesis Most Christian sermons castigate Jacob as a thief …Read More
The Isaiah 19 highway – prophecies amidst the potholes
Isaiah 19:23 spotlights a gripping prophetic vision about a future Middle Eastern highway of blessing. Though recent events might seem to be moving the region away from a fulfillment of this dream, Isaiah 19 announces that peace, worship and good fellowship will eventually break out along a superhighway linking Egypt, Israel and northern Iraq. This is heady stuff, and in some circles trumpeting calls are sounding that these Messianic …Read More
The Raising Up of Ezekiel’s Army
“The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls,” said Paul Simon in his famous hit song Sounds of Silence. The God of the Hebrews does “move in mysterious ways His wonders to perform,” and is on record as even being willing to raise up children of Abraham from roadside stones (see Luke 3:8). One of the mightiest prophecies concerning Israel in the Last Days concerns a specific …Read More
Enemies and friends at a time of war
The unofficial state of war spreads as Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza continue to strike Israeli cities, hitting Jewish civilians (and occasionally Arab citizens of Israel). These jihadi rocket attacks are shot from launchers deliberately positioned by Hamas among Gaza’s civilian population – a war crime by legal and ethical definitions. Yesterday 192 rockets were fired by both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Some were even co-fired by the Palestinian Authority’s …Read More