(Disclaimer: This write up is not about politics of the State of Israel but about the prophetic destiny of the Nation of Israel.)

At a time when the legitimacy of the Nation of Israel to exist is being questioned even by Bible believing Christians, who question whether the Jews are still entitled to the land promised to Abraham as an everlasting possession, it begs the question whether these Christians truly acknowledge the Sovereignty of God! If they do, they ought to unquestioningly accept what the Word of God says about this land. (Read Genesis 12:7, 13:15, 15:18-20, 17:21, 22:17-18, 26:3, 28:13-14, 35:12, 48:3-4) There are more references throughout the Bible and this is just from the book of Genesis! From these Scriptures we understand that God did not promise the land to all the descendants of Abraham but to Issac and not to Ishmael; to Jacob and not to Esau; to the Israelites and not to the Ishmaelites and the Edomites ( the descendants of Esau) and definitely not to the Palestinians who claim to be the descendants of the Philistines. Have you ever wondered why the Philistines never figured in the list of peoples whose land God promised to Abraham? “To your descendants I give the land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates – the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites Amorites, Cannanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” That’s because the Philistines were not the original inhabitants of the land but came from Caphtor or Crete (Deuteronomy 2:23, Amos 9:7), whereas the Palestinians are culturally and linguistically Arabs, who occupied the land much later, after the Jews were scattered in 70 AD and Rome lost control over Jerusalem to the Rashidun Caliphate in 638 AD. Therefore the Palestinians have no historic claim to that land! So says the Qur’an in Surah 5:20-26 that the Holy land belongs to Israel. The truth is that God made a Covenant with Abraham and gave him the land of Cannan and that land has since then belonged to his descendants for over 3000 years though they were exiled. Interestingly, the land fell fallow after they were exiled, as if the land refused to yield it’s produce until the Jew returned! This was observed by many travellers to the Holy land and notebly Mark Twain who visited Israel in 1867 and wrote in his travel book ‘The Innocents Abroad’, that Israel was “. . . a desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds – a silent mournful expanse … A desolation is here that not even imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action … We never saw a human being on the whole route … There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of the worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.” God used Israel to judge the original inhabitants of Canaan and disposed them and in turn used the neighbouring nations to judge Israel and dispose them from their land but promised to bring them back. Now their right to return to their homeland is being questioned by even conservative Christians! Those who think differently are trying to be kinder than God by giving away the promised land to the Arabs ( were called Arabs before they came to be known as Palestinians since 1967) on humanitarian grounds! God Almighty, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob who promised the land as an everlasting inheritance to their descendants, will have the final say in this matter and not men! If we have a problem with that, it’s because we do not accept the Sovereignty of God.

It’s not about being pro-Israel or Anti-Palestine but being pro-truth and anti-lies, on whichever side the truth is! Remember, truth is always singular whereas falsehood is plural as it has many versions. There is no plurality in truth! The standard of truth is the Word of God and it is written that the land of Canaan has been promised to Abraham, Issac and Jacob and his descendants as an everlasting possession. As believers we need to agree with Scriptures, not selectively but in its entirety, lest we become conceited (being excessively proud of oneself that you exalt yourself over others) because of our ignorance of the truth. ‘I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited’ – (Romans 11:25) That’s what Paul warned the Church against – being arrogant towards Israel ! ‘If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though being a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others .. do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: .. they were broken off because of unbelief and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God … Otherwise, you also will be cut off.’ – (Romans 11:17-22) Inspite of Paul’s warning to the Church against ostracising (excluding from society)  the Jew, many right wing Christians today are rabid Jew haters, even calling for their extermination! Hate has blinded them, even many well meaning Christians! They seem to be ignorant of the fact that ‘Israel has experienced a hardening in part ( not all because the early Church was predominantly jewish) until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.’ – (Romans 11:25-26) That statement might come as a surprise to many Antisemitc Christians because they fail to realise that the Jew ‘will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree!’ – (Romans 11:23-24) Nor do they believe what Scripture says that the regathering of the Jews will be a blessing to the world. ‘If their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring … For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?’ – (Romans 11:12-15) But instead of believing the Word of God, these Christians have become conceited, thinking the Church has replaced Israel, not realising that the Gentiles only share in the inheritance of Israel. ‘This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus’ – (Ephesians 3:6), NOT REPLACING them! The Jews on their part have become conceited too because they think it is outrageous to say that the Gentiles are heirs together with them! For that matter, not all Jews are heirs but only those who are of the faith of Abraham , ‘for if those who live by the law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless ..’ (Romans 4:14) That’s why Isaiah cried out concerning Israel, saying, “Though the number of Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.” – ( Romans 9:27/Isaiah 10:22)

Another contentious question that’s being raised by some conservative Christians today, probably because they cannot refute the right of the Jew to return to their homeland, is whether the Jews who have returned to Israel are the same as the Israelites in the Bible? To begin with, a brief history lesson would put things in perspective! It’s true that the ten northern tribes of Israel who went into exile after the Assyrian invasion were scattered around the world and were assimilated into the nations and many lost their jewish identity.  However, some groups claim Jewish descent, like  the Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews), Bene Israel (Indian Jews), Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan, Igbo Jews of Nigeria etc … Many of them have oral traditions and practices that resemble ancient Israelite customs, but  Israel has officially recognized only some of them and they  have immigrated to the modern state of Israel. But unlike the northern tribes, the two southern tribes consisting of Judah, Benjamin and those of Levi living among them, who were exiled to Babylon, maintained their jewish identify and culture as evident from the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel. It was in Babylon that the exiles came to be known as “Yehudi” (Hebrew term meaning “Jew” or “one who belongs to the Jewish people”, named after the predominant tribe of Judah) because historically it referred to the people from the ancient kingdom of Judah, distinguishing them from the Northern kingdom of Israel who were exiled by the Assyrians. Therefore the exiles who returned from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel and later with Ezra were truly the descendants of the southern tribes. Then in 70 AD when the descendants of these tribes were exiled once again by the Romans and were scattered throughout the world, they still maintained their jewish identify and culture just as they did before! Infact that was the reason why they were hated in Europe because they refused to assimilate with other peoples and nations. Therefore they were ostracised from the society and expelled from many European countries on multiple occasions throughout history. Some of the major expulsions that occurred were from England in 1290, from France in 1306 and again in 1394, from Switzerland in 1348, from Germany in 1394, from Austria in 1421, from Spain in 1492, and the list continues … The persecution, confiscation of property and expulsions of Jews from medieval Europe seemed justified because the Roman Catholic Church advocated Antisemitism from its pulpits! And the Crusaders, motivated by religious fervor and greed, massacred thousands of Jews as they made their way to Holy land! And as persecution turned into pogroms (organized massacre of a particular ethnic group) in Russia and Eastern Europe, Jews began to flee to their homeland as early as 1882. And when they returned to Israel, nobody questioned the Jews who were returning to Israel whether they are the same as the Israelites in the Bible! What is that made them cease to be Israelites anymore? The critics say the Jews who returned to Israel are all Europeans who converted to Judaism and not true descendants of the Israelites. The Holocaust proves that the Jews were not of  European descent as critics claim  because Hitler considered them inferior as they were not of the same  blood line.

Infact, Zionism ( the movement for the re-establishment of the Jewish nation) was born in 1897 because of this racial hatred towards Jews in Europe. However, it served the purpose of birthing in them the desire to return to their ancestral home land! Scripture says that the Jews (not necessarily the ten lost tribes) will be gathered to Israel. “When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself Holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations , I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind.” – (Ezekiel 39:23-28) This happens before before the second coming of Jesus. Thanks to the rising antisemitism and pro-palestinian movements around the world that’s causing many more Jews to make the Aliyah! Scripture itself acknowledges that those who have returned to Israel thus far ‘…were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations …’ – (Ezekiel 38:8) Then for some Bible believing Christians to say that the Jews who returned to their homeland are not really Jewish, is the heights of absurdity! If those who returned are not Jews, who then are the real Jews? Christians? That’s the fallacy of replacement theology, whose proponents teach that Israel as a nation need not exist anymore because the church has superseded Israel ! They say Paul taught supersessionism or replacement theology, by citing this verse out of context: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” – (Galatians 3:28) What Paul meant by that statement was that all who are being added to the Church are equal in Christ but that doesn’t mean the eternal covenant with Abraham became obsolete! Infact the next verse proves the point! “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” – (Vs 29) So Israel was not replaced by the Church but rather Gentiles were added to the Abrahamic Covenant to share in the blessings of Israel! Had Paul been anti-jewish, he wouldn’t have prayed this prayer: ‘Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.’ – (Romans 10:1) Infact, he wished he was cut off from Christ for their sake, for he wrote: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.” -( Romans 9:1) According to Scriptures, Israel as a nation must exist in last days before the second coming of Christ, just as it was during his first coming, as his return will be to Israel and will be revealed to them, just as Joseph was revealed to his brothers once they were all gathered together – (Ref: Genesis 44:14, 45:1). Hence the regathering of the Jews began as prophesied in Scripture – (Ref: Jeremiah 3:12-14). Before long they began to produce fruit in keeping with Prophecy! ‘In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.’ – (Isaiah 27:6) How prophetic are the words of Jesus: “Now learn this from the fig tree: As soon as it’s twigs get tender and it’s leaves come out, you know summer is near. Even so when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” – (Mathew 24:32-33) Indeed, ‘Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced to ages everlasting.’ – (Isaiah 45:17) Amen.

“In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.” – (Psalm 75:8) The cup of wrath has been mixed and kept ready for those on earth who have refused to drink from the cup of salvation that he gave to the church. ‘The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.’ – (Romans 1:18) This is what the LORD, the God of Israel said to Jeremiah: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the kingdoms on the face of the earth to drink it … When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them … And after all of them, the king of Sheshach (cryptogram for Babylon) will drink it too.” – (Jeremiah 25:15-27) ‘Babylon (the nation) was a gold Cup in the Lord’s hand; she made the whole earth drunk . The nations drank her wine; therefore they have gone mad. Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.’ – (Jeremiah 51:7-8) Babylon also stands for an end time religious, political and economic system that opposes the truth and oppresses the saints! ‘With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’ – (Revelation 17:2) ‘God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.’ – (Revelation 16:19) ‘Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup.’ – ( Revelation 18:6)

But before that happens, THE LORD declares, “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding people’s reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On the day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” – (Zechariah 12:2-3) There was a time when the nation of Israel was the first to drink from the cup of God’s wrath in keeping with the principle: ‘first for the Jew, then for the Gentile’ – (Romans 2:9-10), because they rejected the cup of salvation extended to them. The vineyard was therefore handed over to the Gentiles to ‘produce its fruit’ (Matthew 21:41-43) until the time comes for the restoration of Israel. God began by first restoring them as a nation and on May 14th 1948 the modern state of Israel was formed. (This is what the disciples enquired when they asked Jesus: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?” He said, “It is not for you to know the times and dates the Father has set by his own authority.” – Acts 1:6-7) God will gather back every Jew from the nations to the nation of Israel before he restores their faith! “I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind … I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Sovereign Lord. – (Ezekiel 39:28-29) The time of their spiritual awakening is coming and has come! “Awake, awake! Rise up Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath you have drained it to the dregs the goblet that makes men stagger … See , I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger, from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again. I will put it into the hands of your tormentors …” (Isaiah 51:17-23)

Israel celebrated 76 years of independence on the evening of 13th May, 2024 – 14th May, 2024; the 5th day of Iyar (ה’ באייר) in the Hebrew calendar or on May 14th in Gregorian calendar); the day on which David Ben-Gurion publicly read the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Soon after the declaration of independence, the surrounding Arab nations declared war the very next day against the newly formed state of Israel. Since then Israel has fought many wars and skirmishes and have won. Once again as they are being surrounded by a ring of fire; by the nations that call for the total annihilation of the only Jewish state in the middle east, we are going to see the fulfillment of these prophecies in our lifetime! The Lord declares: “On that day I will strike every horse with madness. I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah … Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’ On that day, I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place … On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced and they will mourn for him … The Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle … The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” – (Zechariah 12:4-13:9) Amen.

Jerusalem was first settled by the Canaanites (not Palestinians) in 4000  BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. David conquered it around 1000 BC but Jerusalem  was then known as Jebus (1 Chronicles 11:4) and the inhabitants were called Jebusites.  There has never been a city like Jerusalem that has been conquered the most. It has been attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times, and destroyed twice; first by the Babylonians and then by the Romans and will be captured again before the second coming of Jesus!  Jerusalem is important because God chose Mount Moriah, now known as the temple Mount, for Abraham to sacrifice his son Issac (Genesis 22:2). Later David chose that place to build an altar unto God after the plague (2 Samuel 24:18) and Solomon chose that place to build the temple ( 2 Chronicles 3:1) and finally God chose that place for his Son Jesus to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Every place that God claims has been counter-claimed by the devil and that explains the present day crisis. The battle for Jerusalem has raged through the ages and it has been a  saga of a constant struggle of good versus evil.

Jerusalem means the “City of Peace” but ironically, the city has witnessed so much of violence and shedding of innocent blood, ‘for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem’ – (Luke 13:33) “Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.” – (Matthew 23:35-36) Even now persecution against Christians by the ultra-orthodox Jews are on the rise in modern day Israel. Moreover, Jerusalem is supposed to be the ‘City of Righteousness’ but she “has become a harlot”. – (Isaiah 1:21)  A ‘spirit of impurity’ seems to have taken over the nation as secular Jews are increasingly becoming gay! Tel Aviv is one of gayest city in the world where approximately 25% of  population identifies  as gay, which considering the city’s population of about 400,000 means that approximately 100,000 people in the city identify themselves as part of the LGBTQ community! They  even held a  pride march in Jerusalem for first time in 2023 despite opposition from the ultra-orthodox Jews and the far right wing government. Infact, the Israeli defence force is one of the world’s most LGBTQ friendly armies and their Knesset has the record number of openly Gay Lawmakers ! No wonder Jerusalem is ‘figuratively called Sodom … where also the Lord was crucified.’ – (Revelation 10:8). However, the day is coming when God will ‘pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on him, the one they have pierced and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son … On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.’ – (Zechariah 12:10-13:2) ‘Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.’ – (Isaiah 1:26)

‘The present city of Jerusalem is in slavery with her children but the Jerusalem that is above (ie., the New Jerusalem – Revelation 21:2) is free.’ –  (Galatians 4:25-26) God would have given  the Jerusalem below, freedom from her enemies, had she listened to his messengers but she wouldn’t ! “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look you house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” – (Luke 13:34-35) Jesus wept over the city because he knew that her struggles were far from over!  ‘As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, only knew on this day what would bring you peace – but now it’s hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground and you and your children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you.” – ( Luke 19:41-44) This was fulfilled in  70 CE when the Roman army led by future emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem, the center of Jewish rebel resistance in the Roman province of Judea. Following a five-month siege, the Romans destroyed the city and the Second Jewish Temple. But the Christians remembered the words of Jesus and fled for their lives! “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.” – (Luke 21:20-22)

After over 1800 years of exile, her children began to return and  their dream of a Jewish homeland became a reality when  David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel,  as soon as the British mandate ended on May 14th 1948 in keeping with UN Resolution 181 (also known as the Partition Resolution) that called for the division of the land into Jewish and Arab states but denied the Jews from having control over the old city of Jerusalem! However, they seized control of the old city of Jerusalem back from the Jordanians following the six day war in 1967. Ever since the formation of the modern state of Israel, their enemies have been trying to annihilate the Jewish state but have failed, not because the Jews were  strong but because the person of the Holy Spirit who is now on earth, has stood in the way, so have the Church! But  Jerusalem will be captured once the Holy Spirit is ‘taken out of the way’ – ( 2 Thessalonians 2:7) and the Church is ‘caught up in the clouds’ – (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Without the person of the Holy Spirit standing in the way, the power of the tribulation saints and that of Israel will be broken. ‘As I watched, this horn (Antichrist) was waging war against the saints and defeating them …’ – (Daniel 7:21) [ ‘He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.’ – Revelation 13:7] ‘… until the ancient of days came and pronounced judgement in favour of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.’ – (Daniel 7:22) Jerusalem will be surrounded by the armies of the nations,  probably by an UN resolution to recapture the city. Their allies will betray them but God will make Jerusalem an immovable stone that will hurt those who try to wrest control of the city from Israel. “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem as immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” – (Zechariah 12:2-3)  ‘The city will be captured, the houses ransacked and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem … This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are standing on their feet.’ – (Zechariah 14:3-12) “Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place … It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.” – (Vs10-11) Hallelujah! Amen.

Israel has a sordid history of moral failures, like any other nation on earth, though being chosen by God! Israel was not chosen for their strength – ‘The Lord did not set his affection in you and choose you because you were more numerous than other people, for you were the fewest of all peoples.” – (Deuteronomy 7:7) Neither were they chosen because of their goodness –  “It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going to take possession of the land” – ( 9:5) nor were they chosen because of their faithfulness, as Moses himself said of them: “You have been rebellious against the Lord ever since I have known you.” – (9:24)  God choose Israel in His Sovereign will, despite knowing that they too were a faulty people! Nevertheless, God made a covenant with them, which promised them  blessings if they obeyed and warned them of curses if they disobeyed! Before the covenant was made, God himself came down in their midst and gave the ten commandments, saying, “You shall have no other gods besides me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them … You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God …” – (Exodus 20:3-7) But no sooner had they heard the law, than they broke the first three commandments, forgetting what they had just heard! God had not even finished giving the law to Moses, before which they cast an idol in the shape of a calf and said, “These are your god’s, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt” – (Exodus 31:4). Its said, “Old habits die hard”, which means, what we did before, we are prone to do it again! Infact Moses had predicted Israel’s rebellion and he even made them recite a song that invoked curses upon themselves, if they worshipped what their hands have made. “For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die. .. In days to come , disaster will fall upon you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made.” – (Deuteronomy 31:27-29)

Its a known fact that Israel had a weakness for idols! Infact, they were exiled to Assyria and Babylon only because of idolatry (Jeremiah 1:14-16). If this has happened to Israel, though being chosen by God, the Church is not exempt either!  ‘Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolators, as some of them were … We should not commit sexual immorality as some of them did – and in one day twenty three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did – and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did – and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom be fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!’ – (1Corinthians 10:6-12) Who among us have never tested the Lord or grumbled against him? But Israel’s sins are specifically mentioned in this passage: Mainly Idolatry and Adultery. (Both these sins can be grouped together because it always seems to exist together – where there is idolatry, invariably adultery too exists! It  shouldn’t surprise us then if we hear that  temple prostitution has always been part of pagan worship. That probably was the fatal attraction Israel had for pagan idols because these religions licensed a promiscuous living. Idolatry and adultery still can be found in Israel and even in the Church. In the letter to the Church in Pergamum, John wrote: “You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.”– (Revelation 2:14) And in  the letter to the Church in Thyathira, John wrote: “You tolerate that women Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” – (Vs 20) Note the connection between Idolatry and adultery in these two passages! Moreover, the Church is fraught with materialism and many are addicted to social media, which too is a form of idolatry that corrupts our souls! (According to Barna Research – Barna group is an evangelical Christian polling firm based in Ventura, California – 68% of church-going men and more than 50% of pastors regularly view porn. And when it comes to Christians 18-24 years old, 76% actively search for porn. The statistics of porn addiction among the churched are staggering, but it’s even more remarkable considering these statistics only reflect those who admit to watching porn.)   Anything other than the Word of God vying for our attention and  anyone other than God yearning for our hearts, amounts to idolatry!! Those who give in to it, forfeit the grace of God that otherwise could be theirs! ‘Those who cling to worthless idols FORFEIT THE GRACE that could be theirs.’ – (Jonah 2:8)

What is interesting though, is the fact that idolatry flourished only as long as the temple stood but after it was demolished and they were scattered around the world, idolatry among Jewish communities died out too! Finding themselves among an alien culture, they maintained their identity and did not worship their gods! Having lost their temple, they became people of the book (Torah) but before long they became legalistic, following the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law!  If not idolatry and adultery, then it was legalism and fanaticism!  ‘For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.’ – (Romans 10:2-3) Whereas the Gentiles did!  ‘The Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not obtained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. ‘ – (Romans 9:30-32) Israel had a tendency for extremism. Either they were liberals or they were legalists! They always missed the purpose of God though they had received  the Word from God.  ‘Theirs is the adoption as sons, theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ …’ – (Romans 9:4-5) If Israel missed it, so can the Church! Paul asked the Galatians, “I would like to learn one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? … Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law or because you believe what you heard?” – (Galatians 3:2-5) Those who try to be justified by works, forfeit the grace of God. ‘You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have FALLEN AWAY FROM GRACE.’ – (Galatians 5:4) Israel missed the grace of God either because of idolatry or because of self-righteousness! Paul cautioned the Church as well, not to forfeit God’s grace!  ‘As God’s fellow workers, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For God says, “In the time of my favour I heard you and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.’ – (2 Corinthians 6:1-2) ‘See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that nobody is sexually immoral or is godless like Esau …’ (Hebrews 12:15) Its important that we be warned ‘for if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare us either.’ (Romans 12:21) Amen.

Israel and the Church share a common destiny though some Christians believe that the Church has replaced Israel while most Jews cannot believe that the Church shares in their blessings! But, Paul, a Jew by birth and a Christian, wrote to the Ephesians: ‘Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me … that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation …This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.’ – (Ephesians 3:2-6) He never advocated ostracising (excluding from a society ) the Jews after he became a Christian, rather prayed for their inclusion ! He wrote: ‘My hearts desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.’ – (Romans 10:1) Infact, he exhorted the Church to help the Jews! ‘For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.’ – (Romans 15:27) There is onething common about those on either side who disagree with Scriptures – Unbelief! They are not willing to accept the truth as stated in Scriptures and therefore have missed out on the plan and purpose of God! For instance, many Christians who understood Scriptures, supported Zionism (the religious and political movement for the re-establishment of a Jewish nation) while many Ultra Orthodox Jews who didn’t understand the plan and purpose of God, opposed the movement, so did many unbelieving Christians! Many Jews are still reluctant to return to their homeland and only 46% of the total global Jewish population of 15.7 million have returned to Israel as of 2023.

There are many things in common between Israel and the Church, starting with their calling. Both were called to be set apart from the world and to be His people who will declare His praise. The Lord said to Israel through Moses: “Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” – (Exodus 19:6) So did the Holy Spirit say to the Church through Peter: ‘You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that you may declare the praise of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.’ ( 1 Peter 2:9) Both Israel and the Church have a common mission as well; to bring salvation to the ends of the earth! The book of Isaiah spells out Israel’s ultimate destiny: “I will also make you a light to the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” – (Isaiah 49:6) But along the way, Israel and Judah’s desire for political greatness had obscured their original calling. But the day is coming when the Jews will be send to the nations during the millennial rule of Christ. “I will send some of those who survive to the nations and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem …” – (Isaiah 66:19-20) So also the Church has been entrusted with the task of reaching the ends of the earth with the gospel! ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” – (Acts 1:8) However, the Church too seems to have lost its vision because of its passion for everything else other than the Great commission!

Its not just the calling and mission that are same, but also the enemies they face! Though Israel battles it out in the physical ‘against flesh and blood’, they are actually up ‘against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ – ( Ephesians 6:12-), who seek the destruction of Israel and of the Church! However, we do not wage war as they do! ‘The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.’ – (2 Corinthians 10:3-4) Hence, we ought to pray for the preservation of Israel! Wars breaks out on earth when the war in the heavens spill onto the earth! ‘And there was war in heaven … The great dragon was hurled to the earth. … When the dragon saw that he was hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman ( Israel) who had given birth to the male child (Jesus) … Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring ( the Church) – those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus …’ (Revelation 12:7-17) The devil hates Israel and therefore the Church because it is the offspring of Israel. Then it shouldn’t surprise us if the world hates true Christians because of its hatred for the Jews, as they both are the handiworks of God ! “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world but have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you … If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also … Infact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you think he is offering a service to God “ – (John 15:18-20,16:2) When he said this to his disciples, he was infact speaking to those who were Jews! So it applies to both, but first to the Jews and then to Christians, in keeping with this principle: ‘There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favouritism.’ (Romans 2:9-10) History bears witness to this truth; the most hated and persecuted people on earth are the Jews and the true Christians!

God had set Israel as a standard for the world; so also the Church! Therefore judgement begins with them; those who are of the family of God ! ‘For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with the us, what will be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God? If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? ‘ – (1 Peter 4:17-18) We need to understand that all Jews are not going to be saved but only a remnant because all those who descended from Jews are only “circumcised in the flesh” and not “circumcised in their heart”. Likewise, all Christians are not going to be saved but only a remnant because all “born” Christians are not “born-again” Christians! It takes faith to be saved (Ephesians 2:8) but all do not have faith (2 Thessalonians 3:2)! So even the standards and requirement set for both Israel and the Church are the same! Finally, the glory that the Church will share with Israel, once restored to their faith, will be the same! Speaking of the glory of the Church during the millennial rule of Christ, Scripture says: ‘In that day the Branch of the Lord (Christ and the Church, being an offshoot of Israel) will be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Those who are left in Zion , who remain in Jerusalem will be called holy .. Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will shelter and shade from the heat of the day and a refuge and hiding place from the storms and the rain.’ – (Isaiah 4:2-6) And speaking of the glory of Israel during the millennial rule of Christ, Scripture says: ‘In that day the Root of Jesse (Christ and the nation of Israel) will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him and his place of rest will be glorious ..’ (Isaiah 11:10) The Church will not replace them but will dwell amidst the people of Israel (Ezekiel 47:22-23), and will reign with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4) from Jerusalem on Mount Zion. Amen.

Have you ever heard these statements before?
1. Jews and Israel are not the same.
2. True Israelites have always been converts.
3. Followers of Jesus are the true children of Israel.
4. Names of the 12 tribes have been changed in the NT.

I came across a video recently that had gone viral and thought should expose this fallacy (a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound arguments.) These statements sound more like “Replacement theology” or “Fulfillment theology”, also called “Supersessionism.” –  The proponents of this doctrine believe that the Christian Church has superseded the nation of Israel, assuming their role as God’s covenanted people.  They also teach that the universal Christian Church has replaced ancient Israel as God’s true Israel and that Christians (including gentiles) have replaced the biological bloodline of ancient Israelites as the people of God. Falsely claimed to have originated with Paul the Apostle, supersessionism has formed a core tenet of the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches. The proponents of this theology have unwittingly sown the seeds of Anti-Semitism. In the book ‘The hidden root cause of Holocaust’ by Colonel John T Sommerville, he wrote: ‘Where did this ongoing hatred for the Jew come from and how did it start? The answer is short! It is because of a doctrine called “Replacement” theology.’ – (Page 12)  This teaching was the  primary reason for the  persecution of Jews at the hands of Christians throughout Church history and specifically the “pogroms” (organized massacre of a particular ethnic group, in particular that of Jewish people) that happened in eastern Europe and Russia. Infact the reason they were persecuted in the countries where they were in exile was because of their monotheistic belief and their unwillingness to mingle with others. Moreover, they were affluent and others were envious of their prosperity. Accusing them to be Christ killers was only an excuse to  justify the atrocities committed against them when in reality both Jews and Gentiles  were guilty in having killed him. Though the Jews were guilty of a greater sin because they knew God’s word, but still the Bible never states they have been replaced by the Church!

The subtlety with which this fallacy was presented in this video was so evident from the sequence in which the four statements were made as they tried to prove that the Jew and the nation of Israel were no longer relevant but the Church!  They first stated that “Jews and Israel are not the same” because the ten lost tribes cannot trace their ancestry and the term “Jews” actually refer only to two tribes. But they’re no longer relevant because “true Israelites have always been converts” which means that the  “followers of Jesus are the children of Israel” and the proof is that the “names of the 12 tribes have been changed in the New testament”. Some statements sound true in a spiritual sense while others sound true in a physical sense ! Only if they are true in both senses, can it be said to be absolutely true! Let’s consider the four statements-

1. Jews and Israel are not the same – Note that they didn’t say “Israelites” rather “Israel” because every Jew is an Israelite but every Israelite is not a Jew! Hence the mention of the nation of  “Israel”  which they allege is not purely Jewish because the ten lost tribes cannot trace their Jewish ancestry and moreover they say that the term “Jew” actually refers only to the two tribes, thus bringing to question the legitimacy of the current state of Israel.  The term “Jew”  first appears in the book of Esther (2:5) after two southern tribes (Judah and Benjamin) were exiled to Babylon, where they were addressed together as “Jews” though it was derived from the name of the predominant tribe of Judah. However, the name stuck to mean all Israelites in the new testament. Even Jesus used the term  “Jews” to collectively refer to all the descendants of Jacob and not just two tribes when he told the Samaritan woman: “Salvation is from the Jews.” – (John 4:22)  The “Jews” are the people and “Israel” is their land but this false doctrine separates the two, denying the Jew their claim to the historical land which was promised to the physical descendants of Jacob. “Your name is Jacob but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel … The land I gave to Abraham and Issac, I also give to you and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” – (Genesis 35:10-12)

Undoubtedly, Israel is the homeland of all the 12 tribes, and they have the right to return whether a practising Jew or not!  The  Knesset passed the Law of Return in 1950 which states that  every Jew is eligible to immigrate to Israel, and receive an Israeli citizenship. This law, however, proved to be controversial  because of the question: “Who is a Jew?”  According to the halakhic (the body of Jewish law supplementing the scriptural law) definition, a person is Jewish if their mother is Jewish, or if they are converts to Judaism. It’s interesting to note that even converts to Judaism are considered as Jews! So only those who can prove their Jewish descent or their conversion to Judaism can  make the Aliyah (the immigration of Jews from the diaspora to the historical and geographical land of Israel ).  All Jews who have returned to their homeland are called Israelis but not all Israelis are Jews because it includes Arabs, Bedouins and Druze who are citizens of Israel being a secular nation. However, “Israel” is not just the name of a nation but of its patriarch Jacob whose descendants were first called “Hebrews” and later “Israelites”  before being called “Jews”. Therefore in a physical sense, the terms “Jews” and “Israel” can be used  synonymously because it is the name of an ethnic group as well as of their nation. The name of the nation was derived from its people  because they were a group of people at first in Egypt, before they became a nation in the promised land. Then to say that “Jews and Israel are not the same”, is being racist because they would not say that of any other nation! Even in a spiritual sense, there is no difference between a true Jew and a true Israelite because Jesus used the term synonymously when he called a Jew by the name Nathanael, a “true Israelite”!

2. True Israelites have always been converts –  That would be like saying all true Christians have always been converts to Christianity but we know that’s not true since there are many true believers among Christians. As mentioned earlier, Nathanael, was a Jew and not a convert and looking at him, Jesus said, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” – (John 1:47)  True Israelites are not necessarily converts but everyone who embraces the truth, whether Jew or Gentile. So its really a matter of the heart ! Any Israelite circumcised in the heart could be reckoned as a Jew and vice-versa!  ‘A man is not a Jew if he is one outwardly nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.  No , a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.’ – (Romans 2:28-29) Having said that, God is still dealing with the nation of Israel who are circumcised only in the flesh  because  of God’s eternal covenant in the flesh with Abraham despite the old Mosaic covenant  being annulled! “My covenant in your flesh  is to be an everlasting covenant.” – (Genesis 17:13) Those who have not understood this have become  conceited! ‘I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be CONCEITED. Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved … as far as the election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs …’ – (Romans 11:25-28) Abraham has both physical descendants (circumcised only in the flesh) and spiritual descendants (circumcised in the heart) but the latter hasn’t replaced the former!  Both Jews and Gentiles who are circumcised in the heart are spiritual Israel and reckoned as the spiritual children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7) However, a remnant from the rest of his natural children too will be saved! (Romans 9:27, 11:26)

3. Followers of Jesus are the true children of Israel –  If followers of Jesus alone are the true children of Israel, then it implies that Jews are no longer the legitimate  “children of Israel” and therefore have no claim to  the promised land but the Church! Hence the next statement that the 12 tribes are Christians who will be allotted the land! Then why is God gathering the Jews back to Israel, if they have been replaced by the Church? Because Jesus cannot be revealed unless the Jews have been gathered back to Israel. All of Joseph’s brothers who sold him  were with him when he made himself known to his brothers. (Genesis 45:1)  Therefore, God is gathering the Jews from the nations since the start of the 20th century. But some say that God’s dealing in the NT is mainly with the Church. Yes! But to be precise,  God’s dealing in the NT became mainly with the Church, only from  the time of Christ’s death and resurrection. Until then, the OT law was in effect even during the ministry of Jesus until it was annulled by his death.  We also see God dealing with the Jews first in the book of Acts. The 120 disciples in the upper room were all Jews. The 3000 who were added to the Church on the day of Pentecost were all Jews or converts to Judaism. The gospel had to be preached first in Jerusalem and Judea before being preached in Samaria and the ends of the earth. As the gospel spread, the Jews hardened their hearts because Gentiles were being included, and therefore Paul had to walk out of the synagogue in protest and preach to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:46-51, 18:6) Then on the vineyard was handed over to the Gentiles to produce fruit in keeping with the prophecy of Jesus.  (Luke 20:9-17)  Paul’s arguments with the unbelieving Jews to convince them the true essence of Judaism has been taken out of context to mean what he didn’t intent – to replace them! Or else why did he ask: “Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! .. If their transgression means riches for the world and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” – (Romans 11:11-12)

4. Names of the 12 tribes have been changed in the NT – Let’s fact check this claim!! Before Jacob’s death, he said to Joseph, “Your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine …” (Genesis 48:5) So Joseph received a double portion of the inheritance because Ephraim and Manasseh were substituted in his  place thus making in effect 13 tribes, which meant one had to be excluded while dividing the land! So when Joshua alloted the land, Levi was excluded for they were scattered in Israel as prophesied by Jacob (Genesis 49:7). But in the book of Revelation, the tribe that was excluded was Dan as they do not figure in the list of those who were sealed: “144,000 from all the tribes of Israel” – Revelation 7:4-8 (To say that the 144,000 are Christians and not Jews is ludicrous! The reason why the advocates of replacement theology teach that the 144,000 are Christians is because they reason that the ten lost tribes cannot trace their ancestry and therefore can’t accept the truth that 12,000 from each of the ten lost tribes can be traced by God. That’s the fallacy of replacement theology! What the Bible says has to be understood literally, unless it makes no sense and has to be understood  figuratively ! When Scripture says “from all the tribes of Israel”, that’s what it means unless it makes no sense!) Dan was excluded probably because they have a history of idolatry!  Moreover they didn’t take possession of the land alloted to them by Joshua, instead they went to the north and took possession of a land not alloted to Israel and killed a peaceful and unsuspecting people. (Joshua 20:47, Judges 18:29-31) However, in the vision Ezekiel saw of the new temple, the tribe of Dan also was given an allotment but not Levi ( Ezekiel 48:1).  To say that the Names of the 12 tribes have been changed in the NT just because the name of one tribe  doesn’t figure in the list is a lie! And to say that the 12 tribes are Christians who have been assigned to the different tribes is the heights of absurdity! If it is true, then only 144,000 Christians are going to be saved! When James addressed the 12 tribes scattered among the nations, he was literally addressing the jews and not the spiritual tribes of  Christians. 

The truth of the matter is that Israel has not been replaced by the Church as replacement theology advocates, but rather we have been grafted in, despite being wild olives!  ‘If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches … if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again … how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!’ – (Romans 11:17-24) Both natural and grafted branches will exist side by side and the Church shares a common destiny with the nation of Israel. Though many Christians believe this to be true, yet they believe that God’s dealing with the nation of Israel is in a pause till the second coming of Christ when the clock starts to tick once again and God will start dealing with the nation of Israel again. But the prophecies concerning the nation of Israel in the books of the prophets were far from complete at the time of Christ’s death and they are now being fulfilled before our very eyes even through the Church age. Moreover, their story of survival, the last 2000 years and the formation of the nation and return of the diaspora all bears witness to God’s dealing with the nation of Israel because of his eternal covenant with Abraham. Amen.

The prelude (something serving as an introduction to something more important ) to the Ezekiel 38 war has baffled many Bible scholars because it speaks about a time when the nation of Israel has recovered from war. When has that ever happened in the modern day history of Israel ? The list of wars begin with the War of Independence in 1948 which broke out as soon as the nation of Israel was established, followed by the Sinai war in 1956, the Six day war in 1967, Wars of Attrition from 1967-70, Yom Kippur war in 1973, First Lebanon war from 1982-85, First Intifada from 1987-93, Second Intifada from 2000-05, Second Lebanon war in 2006 to name a few, not to mention the numerous escalations and operations. Nevertheless, the prophet Ezekiel had prophesied precisely the would-be circumstances in Israel before the Ezekiel 38 war. “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog … and say: ‘… In future years you will invade a land that has RECOVERED FROM WAR, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel … They had been brought out from the nations and now all of them LIVE IN SAFETY … You will say, “I will invade a land of UNWALLED VILLAGES; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people – all of them LIVING WITHOUT WALLS AND WITHOUT GATES AND BARS … rich in livestock and goods living at the centre of the land …” – (Ezekiel 38:8-12) This has never been true about the nation of Israel during its 75 years of existence as a modern state. And now with Hamas and Hezbollah at their borders threatening to annihilate the Jewish state, the prospect of safety seems so bleak and the prophecy too far-fetched (unlikely and unconvincing)! But like the missing piece of a puzzle, this war seems to be the precursor (thing that comes before another of the same kind) to the Ezekiel 38 war, because it would be nations then and not terrorist groups! This war might have come as a surprise to many but it was totally expected, because Hamas and Hezbollah have been preparing for a major confrontation with Israel for a long time, but for the timing !

There remains many prophecies that have been partially fulfilled and awaits their total fulfillment because prophecy tends to repeat itself several times over different times frames until it finds total fulfillment. One of the prophecies in the context of the Israel-Hamas war is found in the book of Zephaniah. Prophesying against Philistia, the prophet said: “Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins. At midday Ashdod will be emptied and Ekron uprooted.” – (2:4) Has Gaza ever been completely destroyed before in the past? The known history of Gaza spans 4,000 years. Gaza was ruled, destroyed and repopulated by various dynasties, empires, and peoples. Originally a Canaanite settlement, it had changed hands and have been ruled by Egyptians, Philistines, Assryians, Greeks, Seleucids, Ptolemies, Hasmoneans, Romans, Early Muslim invaders, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, British, Egyptians until Israel occupied it during the six day war in 1967 but left in 2005 to Palestinian rule. That brings to question the veracity (conformity to facts; accuracy) of the claim that the Palestinians are the descendants of Philistines. Alexander the Great besieged and captured the city in 332 BCE. Most of the inhabitants were killed during the assault, and the city was resettled by nearby Bedouins. The name “Palestine” was first used by ancient Greek historian Herodotus in the 5th century BCE when he wrote of a district in the province of Syria, called Palaistinê meaning the “land of the Philistines” and later the Latin name Palaestina was used by Roman writers to refer to the land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean sea. Following the Muslim conquest of land, place names that were in use by the Byzantine administration generally continued to be used in Arabic. (Since there is no hard P sound in Arabic or Hebrew, but the softer F sound, Palestine is therefore pronounced as Falastīn proving that the name “Palestine” is neither Arabic nor Hebrew in origin and is not found in the Quran or the Bible.) Though, the current inhabitants of Gaza are called “Palestinians”, they are not the descendants of Philistines but they are an ethnonational group descending from people who have inhabited the surrounding regions, and are culturally and linguistically Arab.

But the sins of the inhabitants seem to be the same through the centuries though occupied by different people groups. “For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom. I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortress.” – (Amos 1:6-7) That describes the current conflict and the savagery committed by Hamas which parallels with the sins committed by early inhabitants of Gaza. Will this war with Hamas and Islamic Jihad result in the destruction of Gaza? No prophecy can be said to be completely fulfilled as its commonly said: “History repeats itself.” So does prophecy! Are we about to see the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy once again because its an ancient war that’s being replayed? If the conditions in Ezekiel 38 have to be met before the event unfolds, then there has to be a tranquility on the northern border with Lebanon as well. But with Hezbollah in Lebanon threatening to join the war, the escalation of the war looks very likely! “Open your doors, O Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars!” – (Zechariah 11:1) Moreover, a third front to this war has opened up in Syria! Will we see the fulfillment of yet another prophecy in this context? “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins …” – (Isaiah 17:1-3) Has the old city of Damascus ever been destroyed completely? Since Damascus is considered to be among the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, this prophecy has never been fulfilled completely. The fallout from the destruction of Damascus will affect Israel too! “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away … In that day men will look to their maker and turn their eyes to the Holy one of Israel … in the day of disease and incurable pain.” – (Vs 4-11) The reaction of the world to this catastrophe has also been prophesied! “Oh the raging of many nations – they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the people’s they roar like the roaring of great waters! Although the people roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away driven before the wind like chaff on the hills …” (Vs 12-13)

In these last days Jews are being gathered from the nations of the world, never to be scattered again! “I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them.” – (Amos 9:15) Nor will their nation be destroyed ! ‘This is the Word of the Lord concerning Israel, “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be beseiged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves … I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah … They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.” – (Zechariah 12:1-6) ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.’ – (Psalm 122:6-9) Amen