Author: Godot13; Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 4.0.
There were three interesting reports in the news today regarding events in Israel.
One report is about Israel getting ready to adopt the Talmud into law as the foundation of their official state legal system.
Another one is about renewed fears of violence over the coming May 14, 2018 controversial move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
And another report quotes a high-ranking Israeli government official as saying that Syria’s president Assad will have to be “eliminated” by Israel if he continues to allow Iran to operate military bases on Syrian soil.
Let’s take a quick look at each story, and think about them in terms of other developments we’ve been watching taking place in Jerusalem in recent weeks and months, particularly in relation to what the Scriptures say about end-times events we’re to be on the watch for:
News Report #1: Netanyahu Wants Talmud to be Official Law of Israel
First, in an IsraelNationNews.com article, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamain Netanyahu has allegedly told Yaakov Vider, the head of the Likud party’s hareidi division (i.e., ultra-orthodox Jews), that he intends to make the Talmud the basis of Israel’s legal system.
Yes, that’s the same Talmud that says Jesus Christ is was bastard born of adultery (Yebamoth 49b) and now residing in hell, boiling in hot excrement eternally for His “sins” against Israel (Gittin 57a), and that His mother Mary was a Jewish whore who was having sex on the side while engaged to be married to Joseph. (Sanhedrin 106a; shabbath 104b footnote 2).
Netanyahu had earlier told IsraelNationNews.com, “One of my main missions as Prime Minister of Israel is to bolster the status of the State of Israel as the national state of our people. To this end, it is my intention to submit a Basic Law to the Knesset that would provide a constitutional anchor for Israel’s status as the national state of the Jewish people.”
Later, Netanyahu is said to have told Likud party head Yaakov Vider that the new law also “would establish the Talmud, the core work of Jewish law, as an official basis for Israeli state law.”
“I want to anchor in this law, that it will be a Basic Law that the state of Israel arose and exists on the basis of the Torah and the Jewish tradition,” Netanyahu explained, promising to define the Hebrew calendar as the official state calendar.
Netanyahu also promised that “we will define in the law the Gemara as a basis for the Israeli legal system,” referencing the Jewish legal text analyzing the Mishnah, a legal work of the Jewish sages, which together form the Talmud.
My comment: I find it quite interesting this is happening now, at precisely the time when the U.S. embassy is being moved to Jerusalem in mid-May, and at least four embassies of other nations have also indicated a willingness to move to Jerusalem.
Ultimately, the Scripture tells us that under the antichrist, Jerusalem will become the center of world political and religious power. As it’s written in Zechariah chapter 8:
Zec 8:22 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.
Zechariah 8:23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
As I mentioned in a previous post, it’s been since December 1949 that Israel moved their capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But that controversial move has not been recognized by the nations of this world until now, because the Palestinians consider East Jerusalem to be their “universal capital.”
Now, we’re seeing both political power (in the form of the embassies moving to Jerusalem) and religious power (in the form of the new Basic Law being touted by Netanyahu) being slowly consolidated in Jerusalem.
Now let me be clear about this: I’m not saying the end is near. These news reports are just indications as to which way things are going. It’s not the event itself that’s so important, but the cumulative set of events that are taking place on a gradual basis. We need to keep our eyes and ears open to it. Slowly, but surely, the Scripture is being fulfilled. Which leads me to our next news report:
News Report #2: Israel Fears “Explosion of Violence After U.S. Moves Embassy to Jerusalem
According to a news article in The Guardian, Israel is preparing to deal with an “explosion of violence” as the U.S. prepares to open its new embassy in Jerusalem on May 14th during the same week as Israel’s 70th anniversary as a nation.
In other words, the U.S. embassy is being moved to Jerusalem on the same day the Palestinian population calls “Al Nakba,” meaning “the catastrophe,” referring to Israel’s May 1948 takeover of most of the Holy Land, and the thrusting out into the wilderness to die some 600,000 Palestinians. The timing of the U.S. Embassy move is just a little bit too much like rubbing the faces of the Palestinians in the matter. So of course the Israelis have become worried about more violence breaking out in Palestine, which of course is a distinct possibility.
According to The Guardian report:
“This year, tensions are far higher than usual. Six weeks of protests along the Gaza border, during which Israeli soldiers have shot dead nearly 40 people and wounded hundreds, will culminate that week.
There are fears that those attending the rallies may attempt to breach the perimeter, a move that could lead to mass casualties as Israeli snipers are operating under rules of engagement that permit live fire.”
“The situation between Israelis and Palestinians could not be more delicate,” wrote Ilan Goldenberg, who served as part of the US team during the 2013-14 Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, in an opinion piece for the Israeli paper Haaretz.
The embassy move, he said, may pass without significant violence, pointing to the lack of anticipated instability following Donald Trump’s December announcement to relocate the embassy.
“Or it could explode – and we could find ourselves in the middle of a new war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Nobody knows, but it is irresponsible for the US to be dumping gasoline on this potential fire,” he said.
…Goldenberg said the “flood of huge events” could be overwhelming: “A toxic witches’ brew of political instability and further potential violence is stewing in the Middle East.”
As you can see, the situation in Jerusalem is indeed “delicate,” as the news report put it. All we can do is watch and see if the U.S. Embassy’s move to Jerusalem triggers even more violence as we approach the mid-May.
Keep in mind that the deadly wound of Revelation will sooner or later be delivered at Jerusalem (see the study, The 4 Winds and the Deadly Wound). No one knows the exact nature of the wound. But it’s Biblical “type” was David’s delivery of the wound to the head of Goliath the Phillistine (i.e., read: Palestinian).
Some say the deadly wound won’t be delivered at Jerusalem until after God’s two faithful witnesses of Revelation 11 appear on this earth at Jerusalem, and that the two witnesses will be the ones who deliver the wound. Others claim it will be delivered by Israel itself, after Israel attacks Iran in fulfillment of Daniel chapter 8, and shortly after that attack finds itself surrounded by Arab armies (Luke 21:20).
Regardless, God gave us eyes to see and ears to hear, and told us to be His watchmen. So let’s watch the situation patiently, comparing it to the prophetic events described in the Scriptures, to see how it turns out.
News Report #3: Israel Will ‘Eliminate’ Assad if He Continues to Let Iran Operate From Syria
According to an article from Haaretz.com, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said Monday that “Assad needs to know it will be his end if he allows Iran to turn Syria into a military base in order to attack Israel.”
The article went on to say:
“Steinitz told Israeli news site ynet that Assad needs to know it will be his end if he allows Iran to turn Syria into military base in order to attack Israel.
“It’s unacceptable that Assad sits quietly in his palace and rebuild his regime while allowing Syria to be turned into a base for attacks on Israel,” he said. Steinitz later clarified his comments reflect his personal opinions.
Israeli defense officials are bracing for the possibility of an Iranian revenge attack from Syria in the near future, in the form of rocket and missile launches at northern Israel.”
Of course, you’ve seen in recent weeks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s globally-televised speech and demonstration, in which he claims to have “irrefutable proof” that Iran is operating in violation of its nuclear agreement.
And you’ve likely seen the news reports of Israel doing bombing runs inside of Syrian air space, dropping bombs on what they call “clandestine Iranian military bases” in Syria.
Iran and Syria are considered to be the two main obstacles left in terms of achieving so-called “peace in the middle east.”
So it’s apparently been determined that the leadership of these two nations will ultimately have to be eliminated. Of course, we know the Scriptures state that when they start claiming “peace and safety” the end is very near. As it’s written:
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
So let’s do exactly as the Scripture forewarns, and keep our Gospel Armor on and in place.
We have no reasons to worry. But we must needs be watchmen. That’s why we follow the news coming out of Jerusalem, and the Middle East as well, And compare what’s going on to what the Scripture tells us to expect.
It’s through that activity of watching with understanding that we see the prophesies being fulfilled, one news story after another.
Regards in Christ,
Steve Barwick
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