Written to Address the current situation in the Middle East and possible decision by the Israeli government to divide Jerusalem and hand portions of it to the Palestinians.
Jerusalem is a city of destiny that carries a warning to all those who would invade or divide her! Nations and empires have risen and fallen depending on how they have treated this unusual city and its inhabitants. It somehow either releases a blessing or exudes a curse, and we can choose between the two. Ultimately the day will come, the great and terrible day of the Lord, when ALL nations of the Earth will be caught in a divine vortex as they are gathered against Jerusalem. In the midst of this no one knows at this time that will stand with Israel at this fateful hour. Will the United States be there? The hearts of all true intercessors cry out “Israel, you are not alone.” Sadly, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that our nation does not share that same sentiment as we continue to press Israel on each side to give up Covenant Land AND DIVIDE Jerusalem in exchange for peace. It will not work! No matter if Israel gives the Arab world Jerusalem no peace will come; if that happens however, JUDGMENT will fall on America if we have forced her to do such. That neighbor is the destiny and power of this mighty and holy city we call Jerusalem. God has chosen Jerusalem to put HIS NAME there and because of such it is not the Israeli government's call to say they will just hand over this city to the Palestinians in exchange for peace.
By Chris McDonald
TEXT: 2 Chron. 6:6
But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David
to be over my people Israel.
Friday, May 26 is Jerusalem Day in Israel, the celebration of the reunification of the city God chose to put His Name on - Jerusalem. In 1967, Israel regained total control of Jerusalem during the Six Day War through miraculous events that can be explained only one way - GOD!. Before I get into the heart of this message today, I want to address myself to comments made this week by the Prime Minister of Hamas who stated that "Peace will come to Israel if Israel withdraws back to pre-1967 borders."
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh's made those comments at news conference indicating that peace was "possible" if Israel withdrew to the 1967
lines. He said that would be a step toward Hama recognizing Israel's right to exist, and was likely
timed to coincide with a meeting of EU officials in Brussels to discuss funding
to the Palestinians, a European diplomatic official told The Jerusalem Post
Tuesday.
Haniyeh, in an interview with Ha'aretz Monday, said, "If Israel withdraws to the
1967 borders, peace will prevail and we will implement a cease-fire [hudna] for
many years." He said his Hamas-led government was "prepared to maintain a
long-term cease-fire with Israel." Terrorism always lies; Islam always
lies; HAMAS always LIES.
Comments like these, the European diplomat said, "makes it appear that Haniyeh
realizes the importance of devising a new style and content and ideology to deal
with the new situation."
The diplomat said that "we realize how hard it is for a guy elected on a radical
platform to steer his constituency toward accepting what for them is heresy.
This is significant because he said it on the record and can't take it back."
That is the most stupid comment made to day in this writer's opinion! Uh,
friend, Hamas CAN take it back and it has always taken peace overtures to Israel
"back." This is 2006. Nothing said in public is cut in stone today because of
the spirit of God-hatred that prevails in the hearts of the Arab world in the
Middle East!
European Commission officials met May 23 in Brussels with a number of
representatives of EU states at the technical level to discuss creation of a new
"funding mechanisms" that would enable the transfer of funds to the Palestinians
but bypass the Hamas government.
The decision to set up this temporary funding vehicle was made at a meeting of
the Quartet, including the United States, in New York on May 9.
Tuesday's meeting in Brussels will be followed on Wednesday by a meeting between
European officials and officials from donor countries Norway and Japan, as well
as representatives from Egypt, Jordan the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund to discuss the same matter. The hope is that this new funding
mechanism would be in place by the end of June basically funding Hamas, the
world's largest terrorist organization in its armed resistance against Israel.
Although the European diplomatic official said that no one could tell whether
Haniyeh's comment was linked to the meeting in Brussels, "I would say it is more
than a coincidence. This is an indication that they are thinking in the right
direction inside Hamas," he said. That shows us how deceived and stupid
European diplomats are! Hamas will say anything right now to get funding from
Europe and other nations in the world!
The official added that it was likely these types of remarks would influence the
officials meeting in Brussels. "This is part of what we have been asking," he
said. "Haniyeh is going some of the way, not all of the way."
The international community has demanded since Hamas came to power in January
that the organization recognize Israel, accept previous agreements and commit to
non-violence before being granted international legitimacy. Hamas has done NONE
OF THE ABOVE.
Jerusalem, The Prophetic City of the Bible, The Heart of the Earth
In ancient times maps displayed
Jerusalem as the center of the Earth. It is the only city in the ENTIRE Bible
that we are commanded to pray for by name! Jerusalem is mentioned 881 times in
the Scriptures. Psalms 122:6-9 says:
Psalm 122:6-9
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. [7] Peace be
within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. [8] For my brethren and
companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. [9] Because of the
house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.
While God has given each of us the priestly privilege of interceding for our
respective cities and nations, NO city but Jerusalem is mentioned as one that
every God-fearing believer must for pray for! Jerusalem is a city where EAST
meets WEST; a city of great contrasts, great conflicts and a great destiny. It
is considered holy by Christians, Jews and Muslims alike. It is indeed a unique
city; both in the world and in the heart of God.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Jerusalem is home to 692,3000
residents and is both the country’s most populous city and its largest
geographically (twice as big as Tel Aviv). The city’s population grew in 2003 by
some 12,000 residents, reflecting a growth rate of 1.7 percent. In 2002, 66
percent of the residents were Jewish, 32 percent Muslim, and 2 percent
Christian. Children under the age of 15 made up 35 percent of the city’s
population. Some 53 percent attended ultra-Orthodox schools and 28 percent went
to secular schools.
Jerusalem Center for Israel Research figures show that secular Israelis have
been steadily moving out of the capital. Is there a trend here? Is Jerusalem
becoming more and more a “religious conservative” center?
Lisa and I have not been to Jerusalem yet. It is the TOP priority of our
ministry to visit there this year or 2007. I have heard folks say that visiting
Jerusalem is unlike anything one can do during their lifetime. The Psalmist knew
the powerful anointing on the city itself when he declared:
Psalm 137:4-6
How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? [5] If I forget thee, O
Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. [6] If I do not remember thee,
let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my
chief joy.
I know people who have visited Jerusalem physically but they do not have
Jerusalem in their heart. The Lord has called us to carry Jerusalem in our
hearts. We may not have stepped foot on its soil yet but my heart cries for its
peace, safety and restoration. I feel the Lord’s pathos as He sat on the
mountain overlooking it before He died, weeping over its rejection of Him. In
reality, the entire city did not reject Him; many received the Lord during His
First Coming. It was the religious of the city that placed Him on the Cross.
Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which
are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,
even as a hen gathereth her chickens
under her wings, and ye would not!
Messianic Recording Artist Paul Wilbur spoke to us this past weekend about
something that took place on December 10, 2004 that this writer believes is the
third most prophetic event in Israel’s history. On that date, 71 men appeared
before the Knesset in Israel to tell them they had reformed the Sanhedrin of old
to “guard” over the doctrines of the nation’s religious life. According to Arutz
Sheva News, this event, the 2nd of its kind in the past 1,600 years, took place
in Tiberias and re-launched a Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish-legal tribunal in
the Land of Israel.
The term “guard,” gives us clue to the analogy Jesus used while weeping over
Jerusalem before He left when He lovingly told her He would have “gathered,”
them as a hen “gathers,” or “guards,” her chickens under her wings. Jesus was
specifically addressing the Sanhedrin in that verse because in the days of old
they were the “guardians of the doctrines,” of Israel even in the days of
Christ.
The Sanhedrin, a religious assembly that convened in one of the Holy Temple
chambers in Jerusalem, comprised 71 sages and existed during the Tannaitic
period, from several decades before the Common Era until roughly 425 C.E.
Details of today's ceremony were sketchy, but the organizers' announced their
intention to convene 71 rabbis who have received special rabbinic ordination as
specified by Maimonides.
Maimonides was one of the few medieval Jewish philosophers who also influenced
the non-Jewish world and was by far the most influential figure in medieval
Jewish philosophy. In short, Maimonides had a simple philosophy found in
his commentary on the Mishna (tractate Sanhedrin, chapter 10), where he
formulates his 13 principles of faith. They described his views on:
• The existence of God
• God's unity
• God's spirituality and in corporeality
• God's eternity
• God alone should be the object of worship
• Revelation through God's prophets
• The preeminence of Moses among the prophets
• God's law given on Mount Sinai
• The immutability of the Torah as God's Law
• God's foreknowledge of human actions
• Reward of good and retribution of evil
• The coming of the Jewish Messiah
• The resurrection of the dead
These principles were effectively ignored by much of the Jewish community for
the next few centuries. However, these principles have become widely-held today
in Orthodox Judaism, which holds these beliefs to be obligatory and which the
re-established Sanhedrin seeks to “guard.”
According to news reports, an attempt to reconvene the Sanhedrin was made
several centuries ago in Tzfat. The body in fact ordained men like Rabbi
Yosef Karo, the author of the classic Jewish Law code Shulhan Arukh.
However, the opposition of other leading rabbis soon forced the end of the
endeavor. One of the leaders of today's attempt to revive the Sanhedrin is
Rabbi Yeshai Ba'avad of Beit El.
He said that the 71 rabbis "from across the spectrum received the special
ordination, in accordance with Maimonides' rulings, over the past several
months." Rabbi Ba'avad explained that the membership of the new body is not
permanent: "What is much more crucial is the establishment of this body. Those
who are members of it today will not necessarily be its members tomorrow. But
the goal is to have one rabbinic body in Jerusalem that will convene monthly and
issue rulings on central issues. This is the need of the generation and of the
hour."
Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, who heads the Temple institute in Jerusalem, is also
one of the participating rabbis. He told Arutz-7,
"Whether this will be the actual Sanhedrin that we await, is a question of time
- just like the establishment of the State; we rejoiced in it, but we are still
awaiting something much more ideal. It's a process. Today's ceremony is really
the continuation of the renewal of the Ordination process in Israel, which we
marked several months ago. Our Talmudic Sages describe the ten stages of exile
of the Sanhedrin from Jerusalem to other locations, until it ended in Tiberias -
and this is the place where it was foretold that it would be renewed, and from
here it will be relocated to Jerusalem."
The Sanhedrin’s search for something “much more ideal,” is going to lead them to
accept the Antichrist! That statement sends chills up this writer’s spine
because it shows us how close we are to prophetic passages spoken 3,500 years
ago coming together over JERUSALEM! It also shows us how close we are to the
rapture of the church.
In a dramatic but unpublicized move, members of the newly established Sanhedrin
ascended the Temple Mount, Judaism’s on Hanukkah, 2004, after their formation in
October, 2004 and Knesset approval in December 2004. Close to 50 recently
ordained s'muchim, members of the Sanhedrin, lined up at the foot of the Temple
[The word s'muchim comes from the same root as s'michah, rabbinic ordination.]
and ascended the Temple Mount for the first time as a group after being immersed
in mikvaot (ritual baths).
Despite prior approval from the Israeli police who oversee entry to the Mount,
the officers barred the group from entering the Mount all together, and allowed
them to visit only in groups of ten. Given the newly-mandated restrictive
conditions, many of the s'muchim refused to ascend at all, especially as a group
of over 100 non-Jewish tourists filed past the waiting rabbis and up towards the
holy site. “It is unconscionable that on the eve of Chanukah, which
celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple, we should once again be barred
from worshipping – by our own people,” Rabbi Chaim Richman of Jerusalem’s
Temple Institute told IsraelNN’s Ezra HaLevi in 2004.
“There is a special mitzvah [commandment], not connected to time, but tied to
our presence in Israel, to establish a Sanhedrin,” Rabbi Meir HaLevi, one of the
71 members of the new Sanhedrin, told Israel National Radio’s Weekend Edition.
“The Rambam [12th-century Torah scholar Maimonides] describes the process
exactly in the Mishna Torah [his seminal work codifying Jewish Law]. When he
wrote it, there was no Sanhedrin, and he therefore outlines the steps necessary
to establish one. When there is a majority of rabbis, in Israel, who
authorize one person to be as much, an authority, he can then reestablish the
Sanhedrin.”
Those behind the revival of the Sanhedrin stress that the revival of the legal
body is not optional, but mandated by the Torah. “We don’t have a choice,” says
Rabbi Richman. “It is a religious mandate for us to establish a Sanhedrin.”
The Sanhedrin was reestablished through the ordination of one rabbi agreed upon
by many prominent rabbis in Israel and approved as “fitting to serve” by former
Chief Sefardi Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef and leading Ashkenazi Rabbi Yosef Shalom
Elyashiv. That rabbi, who is then considered to have received authentic
ordination as handed down from Moses, was then able to give ordination to 70
others, making up the quorum of 71 necessary for the Sanhedrin. “Even
Mordechai HaYehudi of the Purim story was accepted, as it is written, only ‘by
the majority of his brethren,’ and not by everybody," Rabbi HaLevi explained.
"Anyone who deals with public issues can not be unanimously accepted.”
The rabbis behind the Sanhedrin’s reconstitution claim that, like the State of
Israel, the old-new Sanhedrin is a work-in-progress. They see it as a vessel
that, once established, will reach the stature and authority that it once had.
“The first members requested that their names not be published, so as to allow
it to grow without public criticism of individuals,” HaLevi said. “We want to
give it time to develop and strengthen the institution, giving a chance for more
rabbis to join.” He added that each of the current members of the Sanhedrin has
agreed to be a conditional member until a more knowledgeable rabbi joins, taking
his place.
Rabbi Richman, also a member of the Sanhedrin, hopes the body will bring about a
revolution in Jewish jurisprudence. Declining to discuss exactly what issues are
on the Sanhedrin’s agenda, Richman said that one of the main long-term goals of
the Sanhedrin is to reunify Jewish observance in Israel. The Sanhedrin includes
members of Ashkenazi, Sefardi, Hasidic, National-Religious and Hareidi
communities. “We Jews went into exiles all over the world,” Rabbi HaLevi said.
“Every community established its own court. We are talking about more than 50
different legal systems developing separately from one another. Part of our
return to Israel is the reunification of our Jewish practices.”
A tradition is recorded in the Talmud (Tractate Megillah 17b, Rashi) that the
Sanhedrin will be restored after a partial ingathering of the Jewish exiles, but
before Jerusalem is completely rebuilt and restored. Another Talmudic tradition
(Eruvin 43b; Maharatz Chajas ad loc; Rashash to Sanhedrin 13b) states that
Elijah the Prophet will present himself before a duly-ordained Sanhedrin when he
announces the coming of the Messiah. This indicates that despite common
misconceptions, a Sanhedrin is a pre-, not post-messianic institution.
The Bible also speaks of Elijah returning to rebuild the Temple in the Middle of
the Great Tribulation period. Elijah will be one of the two witnesses who will
withstand the Antichrist, cause rain to cease off the earth for days and destroy
those who would come against them with supernatural fire from their mouths!
This will all pave the path for the physical Second Return of Christ that will culminate with Israel's cry: “Blessed is HE who comes in the name of the Lord.” When HE comes, He's not coming to Washington D.C., Moscow, Rome or London - Jesus will return to Jerusalem and set up His throne to usher in the Kingdom Age.
Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which
are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even
as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
the "you," in this passage of Matthew was not ALL of Israel. Many received the
Lord while He was here on Earth the first time; it was the same religious group
known as the Sanhedrin that rejected Christ at His First Coming. It is to this
group that Christ spoke in Matthew 23 predicting they will utter the same thing
at the end of Israel's time of trouble: “BLESSED is HE Who Comes in the Name
of the Lord!"
We heard Paul Wilbur speak on this
the other day stating how this phrase is actually a wedding cry of those waiting
for the bridegroom to appear in the ceremony in Jewish ceremonies. One day and
one day soon, our heavenly bridegroom is going to appear in the heavens for the
Church, then return to save Israel at the Battle of Armageddon WITH the same
Body He came for at the rapture! Paul mentioned the events we spoke of earlier
in this lesson/message concerning the reformation of the Sanhedrin in October,
2004, calling it the third most prophetic event in Israel’s history other than
her formation as a nation in 1948 and the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967.
The actual date the Sanhedrin went to Israel’s Knesset to be recognized by the
government was December 10, 2004 – two weeks before the Jewish celebration of
Hanukkah.
Hanukkah is known as the Feast of Dedication when the Temple in JERUSALEM
was rededicated by Judas Maccabees, after Maccabees led a revolt against
Antiochus Epiphanies of Syria who had desecrated the temple, offered a pig on
the altar and desecrated the items in the Temple with the swine’s blood. It is
in prophetic type a picture of what will take place when Jesus returns to
Jerusalem and will cleanse the Temple once again that will have been desecrated
by the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation period. All of these things are
tied together and continue to show us how soon the time is when Jesus will hear
the words of Matthew 23:37 from the mouths of the religious “Sanhedrin” of
Israel. Before 2004 that was impossible because the Sanhedrin was no longer in
existence. They had been scattered off the face of the earth during Israel’s
last Diaspora from 135 to 425 A.D. What took place in the fall of 2004 is
something that Israel had not seen in 1,600 years!!!!!!!!!!!! Think of the
import of that.
Jesus is coming back to earth to deliver His beloved Israel from the clutches of
the Antichrist and then we ALL will partake of a Heavenly Marriage SUPPER!
Neighbor, the trump of God is about to sound! It's so close that it beggars
description. Isaiah says, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent. For
Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet.” We cannot keep quiet. Our hearts need
to BURN for the peace of Jerusalem for in doing so, we are burning inside for
the SOON RETURN OF JESUS! We’re praying for the soon return of Christ when we
pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
The Historical Past A City With A Prophetic Destiny
Jerusalem’s history speaks to us of the bigger conflict Israel faces right now
over her covenant land. For centuries the Jewish people have wandered, exiled
from their homeland and exiled from their beloved Jerusalem, the city of David –
the city of God! Rejected by nation after nation, the Jewish people were forced
to become pilgrims, without a place to rest their heads. The sounds of weeping
throughout the centuries of Israel’s children were the sound of tears coming
from hearts longing to return to the Promised Land.
Many times those tears were tears of loss at the bloodshed she has experienced
by wicked evil dictators and nations. The pogroms of Russia; the Holocaust of
Germany; the Inquisitions of Spain; the ancient hatred of the Arabs; ALL of
these things have contributed to what Jeremiah foretold of her future in his
prophetic writings. It is very appropriate that the weeping prophet spoke of a
weeping nation:
Jeremiah 31:15-19
Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter
weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her
children, because they were not. [16] Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice
from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith
the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. [17] And there
is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to
their own border. [18] I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus;
Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the
yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. [19]
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I
smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the
reproach of my youth.
The First Crusade successfully captured Jerusalem in the summer of 1099, but the
crusaders spent their first week in the Holy City slaughtering the Jews and
Muslims there. One historian says the men, “heartily devoted the day to
exterminating Jewish men, women and children – killing more than 10,000.”
Ownership of this Middle Eastern city has been contested more than any other
city in the world. Jews in Muslim countries have been hanged in the public
squares. Jews were marked for destruction in the gas chambers in Treblinka and
in the ovens of Auschwitz. Still a desperate cry rang out from the hearts of a
wandering people. From the frozen tundra of Siberia to the hot sands of the
Ethiopian desert, they cried out: “Next year in Jerusalem!”
History speaks and must learn to listen to her wisdom! Often, to our chagrin,
history speaks with a deafening silence! It could be argued that the United
States has been Israel’s greatest ally in recent history; but other pages of
American history are not so glorious.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the last American President during World War II who
could have taken direct action to prevent the deaths of six million Jews during
the Holocaust. In the middle of the greatest war ever fought, with over three
million Jewish people already executed, Roosevelt was still eerily silent on the
matter. It appears that the man considered America’s greatest “Democratic,”
president was also part of our darkest hour as a nation! In that bleak hour,
America and the nations of the world closed their ears to the piercing cries of
the Jewish people.
In December 1939, Roosevelt appointed Breckenridge Long to the prominent
position of determining who would and would not receive entry permits from Nazi
Germany into the United States. Long’s philosophy was simple and troubling:
“Keep them all out; they are all troublemakers.” When once questioned about what
should happen to the Jews trying to escape Hitler, Long replied by using his
hand an imaginary machine gun to “mow them all down.”
Evidence suggests that President Roosevelt and the State Department already knew
something definite about Hitler’s “Final Solution to the Jewish Problem,” in
1942. With the United States already engaged in the war, it seemed probable that
the U.S. would either help to find a safe haven for the Jewish people or else at
least use the verifiable information about German atrocities as a rallying cry
for the war. Neither happened! But in spite of this, the defiant cry still rang
out from inside the Nazi Camps, “Next year in Jerusalem!”
It is this writer’s belief that event in America’s history brought a curse on
the Democratic Party in America. Think about what happened following Roosevelt.
After Roosevelt’s death, Harry S. Truman took over for him and played a pivotal
role in Israel’s formation in 1948. Truman was not a typical Democrat having a
strong backbone on national security issues and never caving into public
opinion. This never made Truman popular among the media of his day, no more than
President Bush does in his day today.
After Truman however, there has been only FOUR Democratic Presidents elected to
run the nation since 1948:
• John Kennedy – 1960
• Lyndon Johnson – 1968
• Jimmy Carter – 1976
• Bill Clinton – 1992
During these administrations America suffered some of her WORST political,
military and economic seasons of her history.
Under John F. Kennedy’s administration the infamous Bay of Pigs invasion and
subsequent Cuban Missile Crisis brought the nation close to nuclear war with the
Soviet Union. President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in November, 1963.
Lyndon Johnson will go down in history as being the President who took America
to war with Vietnam which turned out to be the most humiliating defeat for
America’ military. Our national pride and ego were hurt and still bears the
wounds of that conflict to this day.
There has not been a worse administration than Jimmy Carter’s. With the Iranian
hostage Crisis in 1979, the Arab Oil Embargo, and the useless signing of a peace
treaty with North Korea, Carter’s policies brought morale in this nation to an
ALL TIME LOW in America. Carter was also instrumental in strong arming Israel
into the 1979 Peace Accords with Egypt which the media played up as a great
“victory,” for Carter, when in fact, Carter used the White House to pressure
Israel to give up land won in the 1956 Sinai Peninsula Campaign; more on that in
a future lesson.
Then there is Bill Clinton. We have outlined some of President Clinton’s efforts
to have Israel give up land for peace during his eight year administration.
Clinton’s legacy will not be a legacy! He will be remembered for his personal
moral failures, his impeachment in 1998 and opening the doors of hell itself
with his approval of homosexual rights, abortion clinic funding, and a
destroying of America’s military forces. It was strictly God’s mercy that kept
America from a real conflict in the 1990s under Clinton.
The planning for 9-11-2001 was taking place during Clintons’ watch in the 1990s.
The news media wants to blame Bush who took office in January 2001 but if there
is ANY blame it would be placed at the foot of the Clinton White House that was
more interested interns than protecting America. Clinton was offered Osama Bin
Laden by Sudan in 1998 and he refused to take him, “because we could not have
legally prosecuted him in America.” Memo to Mr. Clinton – Osama Bin Laden was
and IS a terrorist and terrorists don’t need a judge – they need the electric
chair!
Someone mentioned to me last week how the economy under President Clinton was
“the best we’ve ever seen,” from 1992-2001. I replied to them that the economy
under Clinton was not his doing – but the results of policies by Presidents
Reagan and Bush 41 from 1980-1992. And all the surplus the national treasury had
was because of Clintons’ refusal to spend money on national defense!
My point in this is simple. Because of what happened in 1939, history has not
been kind to the Democratic Party – the party of Roosevelt when it comes to
governing America. To only have had four Democratic Presidents since 1939
indicate a curse on the party. When the Democrats have had power, America has
suffered nothing but TRAGEDY!
U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1948.....
According to the U.S. State
Department, it has been foreign policy since 1948 not to recognize any part of
Jerusalem as “Israel” unless the entire Arab world does so first. This includes
the section of west Jerusalem that has been a part of Israel since 1948, and
which will remain under Israeli control under any Arab-Israeli agreement. The
late George C. Marshall, the secretary of state under Harry S. Truman, heavily
influenced the U.S. State Department policy regarding Israel. It is well
documented that Marshall was strongly even rabidly, against Truman recognizing
the Jewish state. During a policy meeting regarding the recognition of Israel,
Marshall went as far as to tell the president: “If you follow Clifford’s
(Truman’s secretary of defense) advice, and if I were to vote in the election, I
would vote against you.” Those were quite strong words from a secretary of state
to a sitting president.
Clifford said in his memoirs: “Officials in the State Department had done
everything in their power to prevent, thwart, or delay the President’s Palestine
policy in 1947 and in 1948.” The bias in the State Department continues to this
day, as a recently-released human right report portrays. Only a short portion of
the document is dedicated to the attack against Israel by terror groups. The
balance of the document details Israel’s “failures,” in the area of human
rights.
No mention I made that many of the supposed infringements on human rights are
essential to protecting Israeli citizens from an onslaught of suicide bombers.
An American couple whose son was born in Israel has filed suit because the U.S.
State Department will not allow the parents to register their baby’s place of
birth as “Jerusalem, Israel.” The places of birth in all other instances are
determined by the applicant’s wishes and, of course, the place of actual birth.
Only in Jerusalem does the U.S. State Department refuse to accede to the
applicants’ wishes. This never adds up does it?
In 1995, the 104th Congress of the United States of America passed Public Law
104/45, the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which officially recognized Jerusalem as the
capital of Israel. It also allowed $25 million to move the U.S. Embassy to
Jerusalem. Even to this day, this legislation ha been held up in political
quagmire
Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for 3,000 years since the time of King
David! Presidential waivers have continued to postpone this act every six months
since it passed in Congress. One may ask “why the issue?”
The reason is really very simple. Arabic countries do not want the U.S. to
recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and we bow to their pressure! Should
the United States not bow then the world would see our backbone and resolve to
see Israel’s right to exist! When America wavers on Jerusalem and Israel we are
in essence telling Arab terrorists and the tide of terrorism – “you win.”
America needs the blessings of God more than favor with the sheikhs and Arab
oil. No longer should America and the nations allow terrorists to threaten us
into choosing political expediency over moral clarity! As stated in a previous
lesson, we tie Israel’s hands to fight her war on terror while we laud our
efforts in America to protect our citizens as the “next great war of the 21rst
Century.” Israel’s enemies are OUR enemies! We’re fighting the same people who
ran planes into the World Trade Center in 2001. What part of this do we not get?
An Arab sheikh who had linked 9-11 to our political support of Israel got a
shock when he tried to give New York a gift while then Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
was in power. Giuliani said, “Thanks, but NO THANKS.” If the entire nation had
that fortitude we would not be experiencing judgment for our handling of Israel
and Jerusalem!
We need to let the godfather of world terrorism; the architect of the Munich
massacre and the financiers of murderous suicide bombings know that the party is
over. It is time to allow the Jerusalem Embassy Act to become law and more the
U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem! If God recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,
don’t you think it’d be wise for America to do the same????????????????
The Names of Jerusalem
The meaning of a name given to a person, family, city or nation, often reveals a
portion of its prophetic destiny. Glimpses into divine purpose peek through the
veil when we correctly interpret and gain understanding of our names. So it is
with Jerusalem.
The inspired authors of Scripture have given this unique city many names over
the centuries. Consider with me some of her names as recorded throughout
Biblical history, and we will peek together into her prophetic destiny.
• City of David – 2 Sam. 6:10; 1 Kings 11:27; 2 Chr. 8:11
• City of God – Psalms 46:4; Psalms 87:3
• City of Judah – 2 Chron. 25:28
• City of Joy – Jeremiah 49:25
• City of Peace – Hebrew 7:2
• City of Praise – Jeremiah 49:25
• City of Righteousness – Isaiah 1:26
• City of the Great King – Psalms 48:2; Matthew 5:35
• City of the Lord – Isaiah 60:14
• City of Truth – Zechariah 8:3
• Faithful City – Isaiah 1:26
• Gate of my People – Obadiah 1:13; Micah 1:9
• Green Olive Tree – Jeremiah 11:16
• Holy City – Neh. 11:1, 18; Isaiah 48:2; 52:1; Matthew 4:5; 27:53; Revelation
11:2
• Holy Mountain – Isaiah 11:9; 56:7; 57:13; 65:25; 66:20; Ezek. 20:40; Dan.
9:16,20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zeph. 3:11; Zech. 8:3
• Throne of the Lord – Jeremiah 3:17
• Zion – I Kings 8:1; Isaiah 60:14; Zech. 9:13
Look at the Psalms that give us a beautiful description of this prophetic city:
Psalm 48:2
Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides
of the north, the city of the great King.
Psalm 48:12-13
Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. [13] Mark ye
well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation
following.
Psalm 102:14
For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof.
Psalm 122:3
Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:
Psalm 125:2
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his
people from henceforth even for ever.
Intercessors weep over her; prophets declare her future; writers write about
her; Jesus Himself wept over her and yearned that she would come under the wings
of Her Messiah. One day she will but not before she will accept one that will
come in his own name and seek to destroy her.
John 5:43 - I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another
shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Jerusalem is a place and city of destiny! God has already set countless divine
appointments within this city, the heart of Israel. It was King’s David’s
capital, the home to Levites and priests and the place where Israel’s holy
feasts were observed. The Temple was built in Jerusalem, and the Holy Spirit was
first poured out in Jerusalem – the place God’s people have always loved.
Jerusalem is a place like no other, a city where future appointments on God’s
calendar are yet to be fulfilled.
The Cup Of Trembling, The Heavy Stone
Zech. 12:2-3
Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round
about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
[3] And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all
that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of
the earth be gathered together against it.
Jerusalem is a city of destiny that carries a warning to all those who would
invade or divide her! Nations and empires have risen and fallen depending on how
they have treated this unusual city and its inhabitants. It somehow either
releases a blessing or exudes a curse, and we can choose between the two.
Ultimately the day will come, the great and terrible day of the Lord, when ALL
nations of the Earth will be caught in a divine vortex as they are gathered
against Jerusalem.
In the midst of this no one knows at this time that will stand with Israel at
this fateful hour. Will the United States be there? The hearts of all true
intercessors cry out “Israel, you are not alone.” Sadly, it’s becoming
increasingly obvious that our nation does not share that same sentiment as we
continue to press Israel on each side to give up Covenant Land AND DIVIDE
Jerusalem in exchange for peace. It will not work! No matter if Israel gives the
Arab world Jerusalem no peace will come; if that happens however, JUDGMENT will
fall on America if we have forced her to do such. That neighbor is the destiny
of Jerusalem.
This message is to celebrate Jerusalem’s reunification under Israel’s control in
1967. I pray you catch the burning zeal this writer and his family does for the
peace of Jerusalem! Pray today unlike you ever have. The time is short, it’s
getting late and it’s harvest time in Israel – and the WORLD! God Bless.
Jeremiah 49:25
How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
If you were blessed by this journal or have a question, please leave us a post below.
Related: A Covenant God and A Covenant Land (Covenant Land 1)
The Two Covenants (Covenant Land 2)
Israel: God's Prophetic Anvil (Covenant Land 3)
A Covenant With Death and With Hell We've Made Agreement (Covenant Land 4)
The Mountains of Israel Part One (Covenant Land 5)
Israel's Return To The Land (Covenant Land 6)
The Prophetic Promise of Return (Covenant Land 7)
The Palestinian Cause And Israel's Land (Covenant Land 8)
The Times of the Gentiles (Covenant Land Series)
For a complete Bibliography of this message series click here
