Senator and historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus (54-117 AD) once commented on political transitions in the Roman Empire: “Dum hac totius orbis mutatione fortuna imperii transit” (“With worldwide convulsion the Imperial power was changing hands”). The recent changeover of political power in the USA might not be global in scope, but the world’s scoop-hungry media has whipped up this national news into tsunami-like dimensions. Bitter acrimony has infected American social media more quickly than the Stuxnet virus. Public …Read More
The prophet and the proud ruler
The Hebrew prophets described the times preceding the return of Messiah as a time of great shaking. Many foundations will be shaken, and many ‘givens’ in normal society will experience tremors. “And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more and I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.’ This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, …Read More
Jewish suffering and anti-Semitism – A hot-button issue in the U.S. elections?
Over the past few weeks Israeli newspapers have been focusing on Mike Bickle’s endorsement of Ted Cruz in his campaign to become U.S. President. Bickle is the Founder and Director of the Kansas City based International House of Prayer. The Times of Israel, YNET, the Jerusalem Post and Ha’aretz all referred to sermons from 2005 and 2011 where Bickle referenced Adolf Hitler as being a hunter of the Jewish people …Read More
Jezebel and Jezreel
“For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth” (Revelation 18:23-24). God’s ultimate judgment on Babylon details how the powers behind this present darkness have poured out the blood of the prophets onto the dust of Planet Earth. “For all …Read More
Mourning at Megiddo
Mourning at Megiddo In ancient times, the death of a Jewish leader brought on intense national mourning. Jeremiah describes it, “Focus in and call for the professional mourning women, that they may arrive. And send out for the skilled wailing women, that they may come … Yet listen, O women, to the word of YHVH, and let your ears grasp the utterance of His mouth. And instruct your daughter how …Read More
“How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob!” (Numbers 24:5)
The hot Summer months of July and August 2011 have witnessed an unusual phenomenon in Israel – large street demonstrations and the springing up of “tent cities” protests. The demonstrators were not the urban poor in this case – the protestors were middle class folk, post-IDF students and young married couples. For the most part they had adequate housing, were equipped with cell phones and brought along spare tents. Long-haired …Read More