“Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord. For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.’ For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.” (Psalm 122:3-9)
Seventy years! A celebration coming! Seventy years, since Israel declared its birth on May 14, 1948….and then the labor. The words of Isaiah 66:7-8: “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.” And the labor came hard. Immediately Arab armies invaded from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. They had the numbers and the technology. A UN arms embargo was imposed, making it difficult for Israel to acquire the heavy weapons it needed. But Czechoslovakia ignored the embargo and supplied the new Jewish State. And God’s will was done. Israel won their war of independence and even gained territory. A celebration, this is, of the fulfillment of God’s many promises to bring His people home. [Even the US is marking the day. In line with President Trump’s order, the American embassy will open that day in Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal capital.] God promised the Jews they would return from all the world and once again occupy their land. And now they have been here seventy years. According to Psalm 90, that’s the normal life of a generation – ten more, “if by reason of strength.” (Psalm 90:10) Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Matthew 24:34) He was talking about the tribulation, the time before His return. So we sit on the cusp. And the signs are all there for those who would see. They are as plain as the words on the pages of scripture.
There is a giant ‘attack’ by the Palestinians planned for May 15th. The violence they have been displaying is set to come to a peek that day. And then there is the looming war. Within hours of President Trump announcing that the US was pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, Israeli planes were launching attacks against Iran bases in Syria that housed hundreds of missiles set to be launched against Israel. Iran retaliated with the launch of 20 missiles. They were all either intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system or fell short of their targets. The IAF struck back, hitting 50 Iranian targets. The Times of Israel reported: “This attack prompted extensive Israeli retaliatory raids, which targeted IRGC intelligence centers, weapons depots, storage facilities, observation posts, and logistics centers in Syria, as well as the rocket launcher that carried out the initial attack, the army said.” Going into the attacks, tensions were high in the region. Iranian troops were on the move in both Iran and Syria. The IDF called up reserves and moved assets toward the Golan Heights, the northern border. Bomb shelters were ordered open. Hezbollah called up reserves in Lebanon. Netanyahu flew to Moscow to meet with Putin. The IDF said that Russia was given a heads up on the coming attacks. (The first targets were the missile launchers. Israel will take those out as they find them.) An Israeli Air Force spokesman explained, “We told the Russians that we were going to strike in Syria, but we didn’t tell them where we exactly we were striking or what the targets were.” Things have cooled off a bit as of this writing. But the danger remains. In Psalm 83 the Bible seems to tell us of a preliminary End Times war in which the inner ring of Arab states attacks and is vanquished by Israel. The participants are named using their ancient names. Syria and Lebanon (Hezbollah) are mentioned here. So are the Palestinians, many of which live in Jordan. Iran is NOT found in this listing – but rather in what seems to be a later war involving Turkey and Russia and others. Still, these are prophetically pregnant times. In the meantime, as Christians and Jews we can celebrate the reestablishment of Israel. A generation of survival. The blessings God has lavished upon that land. His divine protection. And for believers of Yeshua, the soon return of Jesus! Get excited, for as Jesus said: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21:28
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