The Signs of the Times (31): Advent

“But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.’”
Luke 1:30-33 (NIV)

It all started with the calling of Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. This is the main covenant that God made with the forefather of Israel, and practically the cornerstone of all covenants that followed. All other covenants made with Israel are an extension of this first covenant.

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. ‘I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’”

God explicitly uses the words ‘I will’ six times in this passage! A promised land, a nation, and a blessing which eventually will reach the whole world.

How about the Arabs/Palestinians and other foreigners living in the promised land? Do they have Biblical rights as well? It’s remarkable what Ezekiel says about this: “‘You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves AND for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 47:21-23)

This land belongs to Israel. And within this Jewish State of Israel, which belongs to the 12 tribes of Israel, foreigners (like Arabs and Palestinians) who have lived there for generations can own trees, houses, fields, etc. They have civil rights in Israel, and therefore also humanitarian rights. However, they must respect the laws of the State of Israel, while the Israeli government must in turn respect their humanitarian rights.

Establishing an independent Palestinian state on land that the Lord promised to Israel, is from a Biblical perspective simply going too far. The best case scenario is peaceful coexistence in the Jewish state of Israel, with the undivided capital of Israel: Jerusalem!

And we wait for the Coming of the true Prince of Peace who will reign from Jerusalem, and whose Kingship will have no end, just like the angel Gabriel promised His mother Mary.

Micha 5:4-5: “He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the Name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And He will be our peace.”

True peace will come with the Coming of the true Prince of Peace. Not only for Jews and Palestinians, but for the whole world!