Weekly Update: The love of many will grow cold

The debate continues in Israel (and beyond) about the plans to apply Israeli law and jurisdiction to settlement blocs and the Jordan Valley. Many are passionately in favor of the proposals, many are passionately against.

Israel itself argues that – whatever its merits – this is not “annexation”, because annexation concerns a State incorporating territory that does not belong to it by means of illegal use of force. In this case, Israel claims to have Biblical, historical and legal entitlement to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria – as a result of the San Remo conference and the Mandate for Palestine.

Israel is a lively democracy. Jews have many different opinions. Over 20% of Israeli’s are non-Jews.

It’s not our place as a church to dictate to Israel what it should, or should not, do.

The world is in great turmoil. After the bizarre upheaval of the last months caused by a tiny virus, we are now witnessing an unprecedented chaos and rebellion in the USA that is spreading around the world. In capitals around the world, large crowds are gathering to protest. Against what?

No doubt there is great injustice. But the violent anger and resistance against those in authority that has come to the surface cannot be explained just by single instances of injustice in the USA. It seems hatred of authority and the fight against racism has become a new religion for which the young are willing to live and die.

This is the spirit of rebellion and lawlessness that characterises the time before the return of Jesus Christ. “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12)

We see this manifested worldwide. The media makes a spectacle of this, making heros out of rebels, feeding the turmoil further.

To some extent we see the same phenomenon in Israel. There is great disunity and distrust of politicians, and many apparently feel the elected government cannot be trusted to make the “right” decisions. The Prime Minister seems to have lost the respect of many people that he once had and that characterised a great leader like Ben Gurion.
Let us pray that the people of Israel will be united in heart and mind, and look only to God for their strength and direction in these confusing times.

Why Anti-Zionism is Anti-Semitism 

Nadav Lawrence writes: “For many on the Left, the term ‘anti-Zionism’ has become a badge of honor, the real test of whether someone is really on the Left or not. The flag-bearers of the term brand Zionism and the State of Israel as ‘settler-colonialism.’ In doing so, either through ignorance or intent, they cross the line into anti-Semitism. To understand why, it is necessary to delve into a brief history of European colonialism.” Read more..

Israel, the Middle East and “Annexation”

Debate continues in Israel and worldwide concerning Israel’s plans to extend Israeli law to parts of the West Bank. It is a very sensitive topic. Here is some background and some interesting perspectives:

• Video: Does the Term ‘Annexation Even Apply?
• Applying Israeli Sovereignty to Parts of Judea and Samaria according to the U.S. Peace Plan – Implications
• No Time to Annex Like the Present
• A Reply to My Critics

The significance of the 1920 San Remo conference 

Prof. Efraim Karsh writes: “There is probably no more understated event in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict than the San Remo Conference of April 1920.” Read more..

Hugh Kitson writes: “The San Remo Resolution, and the Mandate for Palestine that resulted from it, enshrined the title deed that Almighty God gave to the Hebrew Patriarchs into international law. Perhaps this was not obvious at the time, but I believe this was what God was doing behind the scenes 100 years ago in April 1920.”
Read more..

Turkey’s selective amnesia 

Burak Bekdil writes at BESA: “Turkey exhibits a remarkably stubborn selective amnesia about its own history. The country claims the title of world’s greatest friend to the Palestinians and most ardent champion of their cause, yet forgets that the Palestinians assisted both the Armenians and the Kurds in their bloody fights against Turkey.” Read more..

Love your neighbor as yourself

Koen Carlier writes from Ukraine: “Shalom, yesterday we got an encouraging message from Tania, the deputy mayor of Karmiel, a big city in the Galilee (Israel). Ever since she came to Ukraine to give lectures about the return we have maintained a good relationship. She believes in the God of Israel with heart and soul and simply wants to be obedient to God’s word: to welcome the Jews from the Diaspora and to help them in a practical way with a dedicated staff.  She secretly hoped that many newcomers from Ukraine would settle in Karmiel!” Read more..

The Blessing of love

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks writes: “A society whose members seek one another’s welfare is holy, and blessed.” Read more..

“All Israel will be saved” (Romans 11)

Kees de Vreugd: “It is written here in plain terms: all Israel will be saved. Not a single translation or explanation can avoid it. it is possible to translate: ‘then, all Israel will be saved, as it is written…’, but ‘all Israel’ is all Israel. Or is it not?” Read more..

“The borders of the land” – Video teaching by Johannes Gerloff

Episode 26 in the series of teachings by Israeli-based Bible teacher and journalist Johannes Gerloff:

The land that God promised to Abram is demarcated by specific parameters, it was never boundless. However, can we take our modern-day definitions of a state and its borders and apply them to the biblical text?

“Glory” – Video teaching by Rev. Willem J.J. Glashouwer

Rev. Willem Glashouwer helps us understand God’s prophetic word, and how prophecy is being fulfilled in our generation.

In Matthew 24 we read how Jesus taught His disciples about His return. The first question of the disciples to Jesus was: when will this happen? When will the city of Jerusalem and the Temple be destroyed in such a way that not one stone will be left upon another? It was literally fulfilled 40 years later. The second question was: what will be the sign of Your coming? How can we understand the ‘signs of the times’ so that we know when Your coming in Glory is right at hand?