Hi folks, I just wanted to write a quick note, to apologise for not posting anything. I've been very busy with things, and I've not really had time to blog. When I have had a little, I couldn't get the words out right.
I will post something soon, as there is so much going on which makes many of us look up a lot more often! We can practically hear the angels getting ready for our Lord's return! God Bless and thank you so much for reading~ I will hopefully post something real soon~
Carolyn
Friday, November 26, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Lest We Forget [Who Owns] Jerusalem
By Stan Goodenough Jerusalem Watchman
It is not all that unusual for an Israeli politician to garnish his or her speeches with a verse or even two from the Bible (the Tanach or “Old Testament.”) Religious and non-religious Jew alike will dip into the most famous and cherished Hebrew-language original to underscore a message to their people.Prime ministers have also used the Bible to encourage Christian visitors to Israel to continue and increase their support of the Jewish state.Somewhat less common is the practice of using the scriptures in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) to buttress one side of a political debate.When, on Jerusalem Day last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dared reference the Holy Book in defense of the Jews’ claim to the city, the response was predictably harsh.According to Reuters, Netanyahu told a parliamentary session commemorating the 1967 return of Jerusalem to Jewish control that “Jerusalem” and its alternative Hebrew name “Zion” appear 850 times in the Tanach.“As to how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the holy scriptures of other faiths, I recommend you check,” he said.
But when an Arab Knesset member challenged him, the news wire reported:Netanyahu “offered a lesson in comparative religion from the lectern.”“Because you asked: Jerusalem is mentioned 142 times in the New Testament, and none of the 16 various Arabic names for Jerusalem is mentioned in the Koran. But in an expanded interpretation of the Koran from the 12th century, one passage is said to refer to Jerusalem,” he said.
The indisputable fact was too much for PLO chief negotiator Sa’eb Erekat, who fired off this sanctimonious response:“I find it very distasteful, this use of religion to incite hatred and fear,” said the man whose organization has a long and unbroken record of stirring hatred, and perpetrating and “justifying” acts of terrorism with references from the Quran.“East Jerusalem is an occupied Palestinian town, and East Jerusalem cannot continue to be occupied if there is to be peace,” he added, unblushingly warning that “Palestinians” will continue to kill Jews as long as Jews insist that all Jerusalem is their capital.No surprises there.
Netanyahu was quite correct in saying that there is not a single mention of Jerusalem in the Quran, whereas the Bible mentions the city nearly 1000 times.Using an online Bible with a search engine, I sought to determine not just how many times this city is mentioned, but what is actually said about Jerusalem on some of these pages. This is what I learned:
in 1004 BC(E), the Israelite king, David, overthrew a Jebusite stronghold located in the southern mountainous region of the land of Canaan, and relocated his throne from Hebron to the conquered city, Jerusalem, which he called the City of David. (2 Samuel 5)
David reigned over the entire nation of Israel from Jerusalem for 33 years. His son Solomon did likewise for another 40 years.Because of Solomon’s sin, God tore away most the kingdom from his son. Nonetheless, Jerusalem remained the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah (thus of the Jewish people), and a son of David sat on the throne in that city until a total of 418 years had passed from David’s conquest.
The LORD God of Israel had told David and Solomon that “in this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever…” (2 Kings 21:7)God had promised that, “for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen,” He would keep the tribe of His servant David and give the city to a son of his. (1 Kings 11:13)For: “Nevertheless for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem…” (1 Kings 15:4)During this period, no fewer than 19 kings in David’s bloodline would rule from Jerusalem. (2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles and the Psalms)
So we have it that, from David’s establishment of the city until its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC(E), Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews.Their captivity in Babylon lasted 70 years, during which they mourned for their destroyed capital and temple and prayed fervently to return. They also vowed there, in exile, that they would never forget Jerusalem. (Psalm 137)While in captivity the prophet Daniel prayed concerning Jerusalem:
“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us…” (Daniel 9)Beginning in 538 BC(E), during the reign of the Persian King Cyrus, the first exiles made their way back under Zerubbabel, and began to rebuild Jerusalem. Between 520 and 516 they rebuilt the temple, restoring the city to the center of Jewish worship and service to God. Circa 458 BC(E), during the reign of King Artaxerxes, another wave of Jews was permitted to return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra. (Ezra 1-7)
“And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem…” (Ezra 10:7)Later, when Nehemiah was overseeing the rebuilding of the city wall, representatives of other nations – Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab tried to stop them. Nehemiah’s answer to them was unequivocal:
“The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 2:18)Lots were then cast to decide which one out of every 10 men who returned from exile would make Jerusalem their home. (Nehemiah 11)
While it is true that the Davidic Dynasty was not continued upon their return, and in fact that the ensuing centuries saw hardly a single Jewish king ruling from Jerusalem – the Jews’ political leaders continued to use the city as the seat of government, and Jews flocked to Jerusalem from around the country and the known world to celebrate the three appointed biblical feasts.
For the Jews, Jerusalem remained the capital from 538 BCE to AD 70 – even under Roman occupation.In the year AD 135, Jerusalem was flattened, and every last Jew finally driven from it. The Jews were also banned from entering the pagan city of Aelio Capitolina which the Emperor Hadrian built in Jerusalem’s stead.By that time Jerusalem had been this nation’s capital for a total of 1091 years.It was Rome’s avowed aim to eradicate every last Jewish link to, and interest in, Jerusalem.
But what was achieved was the opposite. For the next 1832 years, wherever they were scattered on the face of the planet, and in the face of often-extreme persecution and suffering, the Jews clung to the belief in their return.According to the Jewish prophets, a son of David would one day be restored to David’s Throne in the city of that great king. (Jeremiah 30; Amos 9)Ezekiel too saw in a vision the glory of God, which had departed prior to the destruction of the Temple, returning to Jerusalem and entering the again-rebuilt Temple of God. (Ezekiel 43 and 44) There the Almighty again declared Jerusalem to be the place of His throne and of His footstool.The Psalmist prophesied that there was a “set time” in the future when God would have mercy on Zion, favor Jerusalem, build up the city and then appear in His glory. When He does this, the nations of the world will fear and serve Him. (Psalm 102:12-22)Isaiah declares that in the “latter days” the temple will be established anew in Jerusalem, from where God’s word would go out to all the nations of the world. (Isaiah 2)It is in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion (the Temple Mount) that the Lord will reign in glory. (Isaiah 24)
Who is this LORD? Is it the Muslim god Allah? Emphatically not! He calls Himself the LORD God of ISRAEL. In Hebrew it is Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh (YHWH). It is a name and a title that He does not change.We read on in Isaiah how this God will defend Jerusalem from all the nations that come against her. (Isaiah 31)Later the prophet tells us that God has set watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem; they are commissioned to petition the Almighty on behalf of the city until it is established as a praise in all the earth. (Isaiah 62)God plans to rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in His people Israel. (Isaiah 65)
“At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers…” (Jeremiah 3:17-18)The Jewish people and their land will be saved, and Jerusalem will live safely. (Jeremiah 33)
Joel – another Jewish prophet, foretells that God will make Jerusalem a place of safety and deliverance (Joel 2). And through him God says that, “at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem” He will also gather together the nations and enter into judgment against them for the way they have treated His people and the land which He gave to them. It is at Jerusalem that this judgment will take place. (Joel 3)Through Zechariah God describes that He is “zealous for Jerusalem with great zeal.” Therefore, He continues, “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it. … The LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’” (Zechariah 1)
Again, this is “the LORD of hosts,” the God of Israel. It is not Allah, the god of the Muslim.
“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the LORD. “Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” (Zechariah 2)
And in Zechariah 8:
“Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’ …“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.’“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the LORD of hosts, and I would not relent, so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear. Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.’“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”
Which nation was God determined to punish when their fathers provoked Him to wrath? Israel.Which nation did God promise to return to the Land of Israel from all the lands to which He scattered them? Israel.Which nation does He restore to Jerusalem, before judging the rest of the nations concerning their treatment of this nation and its land? Israel.I could carry on and on. SO FULL is the Bible of references to Jerusalem, to its rightful people and to their God.
Sa’eb Erakat may find this distasteful, but as a Muslim, and as a spokesman for millions of Muslims who hate Israel and wish to appropriate Jerusalem for themselves, he worships the wrong god, one who has no power to take Jerusalem from the Jews.Hey, his god doesn’t even care about Jerusalem! Allah’s total lack of reference to this city in their “holy” book makes this clear.Jerusalem belongs to Israel – exclusively and for always.Now, if only its leaders would reference the Bible when it comes to the other critical issues they have to deal with – like the right to the Land of Israel – all of it.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Lest We Forget [Who Owns] Jerusalem
By Stan Goodenough
Jerusalem Watchman
It is not all that unusual for an Israeli politician to garnish his or her speeches with a verse or even two from the Bible (the Tanach or “Old Testament.”) Religious and non-religious Jew alike will dip into the most famous and cherished Hebrew-language original to underscore a message to their people.
Prime ministers have also used the Bible to encourage Christian visitors to Israel to continue and increase their support of the Jewish state.
Somewhat less common is the practice of using the scriptures in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) to buttress one side of a political debate.
When, on Jerusalem Day last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dared reference the Holy Book in defense of the Jews’ claim to the city, the response was predictably harsh.
According to Reuters, Netanyahu told a parliamentary session commemorating the 1967 return of Jerusalem to Jewish control that “Jerusalem” and its alternative Hebrew name “Zion” appear 850 times in the Tanach.
“As to how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the holy scriptures of other faiths, I recommend you check,” he said.
But when an Arab Knesset member challenged him, the news wire reported:
Netanyahu “offered a lesson in comparative religion from the lectern.”
“Because you asked: Jerusalem is mentioned 142 times in the New Testament, and none of the 16 various Arabic names for Jerusalem is mentioned in the Koran. But in an expanded interpretation of the Koran from the 12th century, one passage is said to refer to Jerusalem,” he said.
The indisputable fact was too much for PLO chief negotiator Sa’eb Erekat, who fired off this sanctimonious response:
“I find it very distasteful, this use of religion to incite hatred and fear,” said the man whose organization has a long and unbroken record of stirring hatred, and perpetrating and “justifying” acts of terrorism with references from the Quran.
“East Jerusalem is an occupied Palestinian town, and East Jerusalem cannot continue to be occupied if there is to be peace,” he added, unblushingly warning that “Palestinians” will continue to kill Jews as long as Jews insist that all Jerusalem is their capital.
No surprises there.
Netanyahu was quite correct in saying that there is not a single mention of Jerusalem in the Quran, whereas the Bible mentions the city nearly 1000 times.
Using an online Bible with a search engine, I sought to determine not just how many times this city is mentioned, but what is actually said about Jerusalem on some of these pages. This is what I learned:
That in 1004 BC(E), the Israelite king, David, overthrew a Jebusite stronghold located in the southern mountainous region of the land of Canaan, and relocated his throne from Hebron to the conquered city, Jerusalem, which he called the City of David. (2 Samuel 5)
David reigned over the entire nation of Israel from Jerusalem for 33 years. His son Solomon did likewise for another 40 years.
Because of Solomon’s sin, God tore away most the kingdom from his son. Nonetheless, Jerusalem remained the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah (thus of the Jewish people), and a son of David sat on the throne in that city until a total of 418 years had passed from David’s conquest.
The LORD God of Israel had told David and Solomon that “in this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever…” (2 Kings 21:7)
God had promised that, “for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen,” He would keep the tribe of His servant David and give the city to a son of his. (1 Kings 11:13)
For: “Nevertheless for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem…” (1 Kings 15:4)
During this period, no fewer than 19 kings in David’s bloodline would rule from Jerusalem. (2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles and the Psalms)
So we have it that, from David’s establishment of the city until its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC(E), Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews.
Their captivity in Babylon lasted 70 years, during which they mourned for their destroyed capital and temple and prayed fervently to return. They also vowed there, in exile, that they would never forget Jerusalem. (Psalm 137)
While in captivity the prophet Daniel prayed concerning Jerusalem:
“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us…” (Daniel 9)
Beginning in 538 BC(E), during the reign of the Persian King Cyrus, the first exiles made their way back under Zerubbabel, and began to rebuild Jerusalem. Between 520 and 516 they rebuilt the temple, restoring the city to the center of Jewish worship and service to God. Circa 458 BC(E), during the reign of King Artaxerxes, another wave of Jews was permitted to return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra. (Ezra 1-7)
“And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem…” (Ezra 10:7)
Later, when Nehemiah was overseeing the rebuilding of the city wall, representatives of other nations – Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab tried to stop them. Nehemiah’s answer to them was unequivocal:
“The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 2:18)
Lots were then cast to decide which one out of every 10 men who returned from exile would make Jerusalem their home. (Nehemiah 11)
While it is true that the Davidic Dynasty was not continued upon their return, and in fact that the ensuing centuries saw hardly a single Jewish king ruling from Jerusalem – the Jews’ political leaders continued to use the city as the seat of government, and Jews flocked to Jerusalem from around the country and the known world to celebrate the three appointed biblical feasts. For the Jews, Jerusalem remained the capital from 538 BCE to AD 70 – even under Roman occupation.
In the year AD 135, Jerusalem was flattened, and every last Jew finally driven from it. The Jews were also banned from entering the pagan city of Aelio Capitolina which the Emperor Hadrian built in Jerusalem’s stead.
By that time Jerusalem had been this nation’s capital for a total of 1091 years.
It was Rome’s avowed aim to eradicate every last Jewish link to, and interest in, Jerusalem. But what was achieved was the opposite. For the next 1832 years, wherever they were scattered on the face of the planet, and in the face of often-extreme persecution and suffering, the Jews clung to the belief in their return.
According to the Jewish prophets, a son of David would one day be restored to David’s Throne in the city of that great king. (Jeremiah 30; Amos 9)
Ezekiel too saw in a vision the glory of God, which had departed prior to the destruction of the Temple, returning to Jerusalem and entering the again-rebuilt Temple of God. (Ezekiel 43 and 44) There the Almighty again declared Jerusalem to be the place of His throne and of His footstool.
The Psalmist prophesied that there was a “set time” in the future when God would have mercy on Zion, favor Jerusalem, build up the city and then appear in His glory. When He does this, the nations of the world will fear and serve Him. (Psalm 102:12-22)
Isaiah declares that in the “latter days” the temple will be established anew in Jerusalem, from where God’s word would go out to all the nations of the world. (Isaiah 2)
It is in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion (the Temple Mount) that the Lord will reign in glory. (Isaiah 24)
Who is this LORD? Is it the Muslim god Allah? Emphatically not! He calls Himself the LORD God of ISRAEL. In Hebrew it is Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh (YHWH). It is a name and a title that He does not change.
We read on in Isaiah how this God will defend Jerusalem from all the nations that come against her. (Isaiah 31)
Later the prophet tells us that God has set watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem; they are commissioned to petition the Almighty on behalf of the city until it is established as a praise in all the earth. (Isaiah 62)
God plans to rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in His people Israel. (Isaiah 65)
“At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers…” (Jeremiah 3:17-18)
The Jewish people and their land will be saved, and Jerusalem will live safely. (Jeremiah 33)
Joel – another Jewish prophet, foretells that God will make Jerusalem a place of safety and deliverance (Joel 2). And through him God says that, “at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem” He will also gather together the nations and enter into judgment against them for the way they have treated His people and the land which He gave to them. It is at Jerusalem that this judgment will take place. (Joel 3)
Through Zechariah God describes that He is “zealous for Jerusalem with great zeal.” Therefore, He continues, “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it. … The LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’” (Zechariah 1)
Again, this is “the LORD of hosts,” the God of Israel. It is not Allah, the god of the Muslim.
“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the LORD. “Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” (Zechariah 2)
And in Zechariah 8:
“Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’ …
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.’
“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the LORD of hosts, and I would not relent, so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear. Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.’
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”
Which nation was God determined to punish when their fathers provoked Him to wrath? Israel.
Which nation did God promise to return to the Land of Israel from all the lands to which He scattered them? Israel.
Which nation does He restore to Jerusalem, before judging the rest of the nations concerning their treatment of this nation and its land? Israel.
I could carry on and on. SO FULL is the Bible of references to Jerusalem, to its rightful people and to their God.
Sa’eb Erakat may find this distasteful, but as a Muslim, and as a spokesman for millions of Muslims who hate Israel and wish to appropriate Jerusalem for themselves, he worships the wrong god, one who has no power to take Jerusalem from the Jews.
Hey, his god doesn’t even care about Jerusalem! Allah’s total lack of reference to this city in their “holy” book makes this clear.
Jerusalem belongs to Israel – exclusively and for always.
Now, if only its leaders would reference the Bible when it comes to the other critical issues they have to deal with – like the right to the Land of Israel – all of it.
Lest We Forget [Who Owns] Jerusalem
By Stan Goodenough
Jerusalem Watchman
It is not all that unusual for an Israeli politician to garnish his or her speeches with a verse or even two from the Bible (the Tanach or “Old Testament.”) Religious and non-religious Jew alike will dip into the most famous and cherished Hebrew-language original to underscore a message to their people.
Prime ministers have also used the Bible to encourage Christian visitors to Israel to continue and increase their support of the Jewish state.
Somewhat less common is the practice of using the scriptures in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) to buttress one side of a political debate.
When, on Jerusalem Day last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dared reference the Holy Book in defense of the Jews’ claim to the city, the response was predictably harsh.
According to Reuters, Netanyahu told a parliamentary session commemorating the 1967 return of Jerusalem to Jewish control that “Jerusalem” and its alternative Hebrew name “Zion” appear 850 times in the Tanach.
“As to how many times Jerusalem is mentioned in the holy scriptures of other faiths, I recommend you check,” he said.
But when an Arab Knesset member challenged him, the news wire reported:
Netanyahu “offered a lesson in comparative religion from the lectern.”
“Because you asked: Jerusalem is mentioned 142 times in the New Testament, and none of the 16 various Arabic names for Jerusalem is mentioned in the Koran. But in an expanded interpretation of the Koran from the 12th century, one passage is said to refer to Jerusalem,” he said.
The indisputable fact was too much for PLO chief negotiator Sa’eb Erekat, who fired off this sanctimonious response:
“I find it very distasteful, this use of religion to incite hatred and fear,” said the man whose organization has a long and unbroken record of stirring hatred, and perpetrating and “justifying” acts of terrorism with references from the Quran.
“East Jerusalem is an occupied Palestinian town, and East Jerusalem cannot continue to be occupied if there is to be peace,” he added, unblushingly warning that “Palestinians” will continue to kill Jews as long as Jews insist that all Jerusalem is their capital.
No surprises there.
Netanyahu was quite correct in saying that there is not a single mention of Jerusalem in the Quran, whereas the Bible mentions the city nearly 1000 times.
Using an online Bible with a search engine, I sought to determine not just how many times this city is mentioned, but what is actually said about Jerusalem on some of these pages. This is what I learned:
That in 1004 BC(E), the Israelite king, David, overthrew a Jebusite stronghold located in the southern mountainous region of the land of Canaan, and relocated his throne from Hebron to the conquered city, Jerusalem, which he called the City of David. (2 Samuel 5)
David reigned over the entire nation of Israel from Jerusalem for 33 years. His son Solomon did likewise for another 40 years.
Because of Solomon’s sin, God tore away most the kingdom from his son. Nonetheless, Jerusalem remained the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah (thus of the Jewish people), and a son of David sat on the throne in that city until a total of 418 years had passed from David’s conquest.
The LORD God of Israel had told David and Solomon that “in this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever…” (2 Kings 21:7)
God had promised that, “for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen,” He would keep the tribe of His servant David and give the city to a son of his. (1 Kings 11:13)
For: “Nevertheless for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem…” (1 Kings 15:4)
During this period, no fewer than 19 kings in David’s bloodline would rule from Jerusalem. (2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles and the Psalms)
So we have it that, from David’s establishment of the city until its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC(E), Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews.
Their captivity in Babylon lasted 70 years, during which they mourned for their destroyed capital and temple and prayed fervently to return. They also vowed there, in exile, that they would never forget Jerusalem. (Psalm 137)
While in captivity the prophet Daniel prayed concerning Jerusalem:
“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us…” (Daniel 9)
Beginning in 538 BC(E), during the reign of the Persian King Cyrus, the first exiles made their way back under Zerubbabel, and began to rebuild Jerusalem. Between 520 and 516 they rebuilt the temple, restoring the city to the center of Jewish worship and service to God. Circa 458 BC(E), during the reign of King Artaxerxes, another wave of Jews was permitted to return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra. (Ezra 1-7)
“And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem…” (Ezra 10:7)
Later, when Nehemiah was overseeing the rebuilding of the city wall, representatives of other nations – Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab tried to stop them. Nehemiah’s answer to them was unequivocal:
“The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 2:18)
Lots were then cast to decide which one out of every 10 men who returned from exile would make Jerusalem their home. (Nehemiah 11)
While it is true that the Davidic Dynasty was not continued upon their return, and in fact that the ensuing centuries saw hardly a single Jewish king ruling from Jerusalem – the Jews’ political leaders continued to use the city as the seat of government, and Jews flocked to Jerusalem from around the country and the known world to celebrate the three appointed biblical feasts. For the Jews, Jerusalem remained the capital from 538 BCE to AD 70 – even under Roman occupation.
In the year AD 135, Jerusalem was flattened, and every last Jew finally driven from it. The Jews were also banned from entering the pagan city of Aelio Capitolina which the Emperor Hadrian built in Jerusalem’s stead.
By that time Jerusalem had been this nation’s capital for a total of 1091 years.
It was Rome’s avowed aim to eradicate every last Jewish link to, and interest in, Jerusalem. But what was achieved was the opposite. For the next 1832 years, wherever they were scattered on the face of the planet, and in the face of often-extreme persecution and suffering, the Jews clung to the belief in their return.
According to the Jewish prophets, a son of David would one day be restored to David’s Throne in the city of that great king. (Jeremiah 30; Amos 9)
Ezekiel too saw in a vision the glory of God, which had departed prior to the destruction of the Temple, returning to Jerusalem and entering the again-rebuilt Temple of God. (Ezekiel 43 and 44) There the Almighty again declared Jerusalem to be the place of His throne and of His footstool.
The Psalmist prophesied that there was a “set time” in the future when God would have mercy on Zion, favor Jerusalem, build up the city and then appear in His glory. When He does this, the nations of the world will fear and serve Him. (Psalm 102:12-22)
Isaiah declares that in the “latter days” the temple will be established anew in Jerusalem, from where God’s word would go out to all the nations of the world. (Isaiah 2)
It is in Jerusalem and on Mount Zion (the Temple Mount) that the Lord will reign in glory. (Isaiah 24)
Who is this LORD? Is it the Muslim god Allah? Emphatically not! He calls Himself the LORD God of ISRAEL. In Hebrew it is Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh (YHWH). It is a name and a title that He does not change.
We read on in Isaiah how this God will defend Jerusalem from all the nations that come against her. (Isaiah 31)
Later the prophet tells us that God has set watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem; they are commissioned to petition the Almighty on behalf of the city until it is established as a praise in all the earth. (Isaiah 62)
God plans to rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in His people Israel. (Isaiah 65)
“At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given as an inheritance to your fathers…” (Jeremiah 3:17-18)
The Jewish people and their land will be saved, and Jerusalem will live safely. (Jeremiah 33)
Joel – another Jewish prophet, foretells that God will make Jerusalem a place of safety and deliverance (Joel 2). And through him God says that, “at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem” He will also gather together the nations and enter into judgment against them for the way they have treated His people and the land which He gave to them. It is at Jerusalem that this judgment will take place. (Joel 3)
Through Zechariah God describes that He is “zealous for Jerusalem with great zeal.” Therefore, He continues, “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it. … The LORD will again comfort Zion, and will again choose Jerusalem.”’” (Zechariah 1)
Again, this is “the LORD of hosts,” the God of Israel. It is not Allah, the god of the Muslim.
“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the LORD. “Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” (Zechariah 2)
And in Zechariah 8:
“Thus says the LORD: ‘I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts, the Holy Mountain.’
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’ …
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.’
“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the LORD of hosts, and I would not relent, so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear. Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.’
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”
Which nation was God determined to punish when their fathers provoked Him to wrath? Israel.
Which nation did God promise to return to the Land of Israel from all the lands to which He scattered them? Israel.
Which nation does He restore to Jerusalem, before judging the rest of the nations concerning their treatment of this nation and its land? Israel.
I could carry on and on. SO FULL is the Bible of references to Jerusalem, to its rightful people and to their God.
Sa’eb Erakat may find this distasteful, but as a Muslim, and as a spokesman for millions of Muslims who hate Israel and wish to appropriate Jerusalem for themselves, he worships the wrong god, one who has no power to take Jerusalem from the Jews.
Hey, his god doesn’t even care about Jerusalem! Allah’s total lack of reference to this city in their “holy” book makes this clear.
Jerusalem belongs to Israel – exclusively and for always.
Now, if only its leaders would reference the Bible when it comes to the other critical issues they have to deal with – like the right to the Land of Israel – all of it.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
God's Lasting Miracle- His People
In all prophecies, one place stands out at the forefront of all events that will be taking place.
Israel.
A country that is about the size of Rhode Island, has been the most disputed piece of real estate in the entire world. Why is this tiny little country in the news so much? Why is this tiny piece of land so hard fought over? Why is it that as the end times draw closer, this peace of land will be the focal point of all world governments and religions?
From the time when a man named Abram was called by God to leave his home in what is now modern Iraq, this land has been fought over. Abram- later called Abraham obeyed God's command to leave his country, and his idols and go to a new place that God promised him and his descendants forever. There are prophecies of Christ in the stories of Abraham, and the beginning of the Israeli people. Throughout many of the old time prophecies- those in the Old Testament, and the rest of the Books, Christ and Israel is the focal point.
Abraham was declared by God to be righteous- before the Law was even handed down. Abraham was declared As God's own by God Himself- as a promise to be a new people- called Israel. Why did God give so many promises to Abraham, and find him righteous among men? Because of Abraham's faith. He wasn't perfect- but he demonstrated his faith to God over and over again- and again by his son Isaac.
Now, you can read the whole account of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob here, but let's get back to what makes Israel so special. Simple- it was by faith and worship on the part of Abraham, promise through his son Isaac, and the nation through Jacob- that Israel was and still is God's chosen people- the "Apple of His eye".
Now, Abraham had 2 sons- Ishmael came first- but Ishmael was born out of natural/physical seed of Abraham through the Egyptian Hagar. Isaac was the son born spiritually- that is, he was conceived when it was physically impossible for Sarah- Abraham's wife to conceive children. It is through the spiritual son that God continued His promise. A large part of the problems we see in the middle east is conflict between the physical son Ishmael's descendants (Arab nations) and the spiritual Isaac's descendants (Israel).
Many, if not all Arab peoples believe that the covenant was between Ishmael-and Israel believes the covenant is between God and Isaac. The rest of the descendants however, from Isaac- beginning with Jacob, prove that the covenant of the promise- not only of the land, but also where the redeemer of the world would come, is through Isaac, as Jacob, his son, later began to be known as Israel.
Why is this all so important? Because of what God has blessed the world with through Israel. Consider: The nation of Israel was and is considered to be God's children- and it was through this nation, that Christ came, so that all people could be God's children also. Israel is the only nation who has seen the Shekina Glory- The Glorious Presence of God. He appeared to them as the pillar of fire and light as He led them out of Egypt, and in the Temple that was later built in Jerusalem. Someday, the world will also see the Glory of God in Jerusalem again, when Jesus comes back and rules from the Holy city during the millennium period.
God never breaks His covenants, and they are everlasting- therefore, the covenant between Israel and God is still very much the same now as it was when God made it between Himself and Abraham and his descendants. It was also through Israel that God blessed the world with the Law. He handed the law down to Israel, and many existing countries today have their basic legal systems based on that Law. Even those who don't- there is a basic moral code that transcends all people, nations, races- those as knowing that it is wrong to murder, wrong to lie, cheat and steal etc. The Holy Scriptures also have been a blessing to the world through Israel. The thousands of years of meticulously transcribing the scriptures from generation to generation, down to every detail has been carried out by Jewish scribes. The fact that the Dead Sea scrolls show that the earliest scriptures are the same as much later manuscripts has been undisputed by Biblical and archaeological scholars. The Promise of the world's redeemer also came from Israel- even at the time of Moses, Israel was promised this One would come some day, as he stated, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people."
Now, again, some Muslims believe that Moses was talking about Muhammad, or their Mahdi (their messiah)- but clearly, Moses was talking TO the Israelis, as someone from among Israel, the "brethren". It is impossible then to believe that Moses was talking about Mohammad since Mohammad is a descendant of Ishmael. The world has been blessed through Israel from the time of Abraham- continuing today, and will continue until Jesus comes back.
Now, we've touched a little on why Israel is important- as God's chosen people- and also a little on why there is conflict between Israel and her Arab neighbors. Now then, the land- it was promised by God- who created the universe, and the earth, and everything in it- to belong to Israel. He didn't say, "Here, rest in this land until you are ready to continue on your journey". He said, "This land I give to you and your descendants forever."
There has been a long time though where the Jews were not in the land given to them. They have been in exile, scattered among the nations of the whole earth, as a judgment from God for their disobedience, and unrepentant ways when they worshiped other gods, followed ungodly practices and practiced immorality. God though- because He has always loved His people, promised that some day, He would gather them all back into His land, where they would be at peace and have security- that He again would reside in the Holy city (Jerusalem)- He would be their God, and they would be His people. This is very important, because Old and New Testament prophecies declare that the people would return to their land in the times near the end. "I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)
This is what is happening now, and has been happening ever since Israel became a nation again after nearly 2000 years of exile. People have been steadily migrating from every nation on earth- and in these days, even during the last war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and all the trouble from Palestinian uprisings- they are still coming. They are coming from relatively safe places like the United States and Canada- going to a tiny nation that is always under the threat of war. Why would they be so willing to leave only to go to a place that is on the brink of attacks? Some of the reason could be an upsurge of anti Semitism that is happening in places all over the world- but even this could be because God is calling them back as He promised.
Israel is by all thought and reason, a miracle in of itself. The fact that the Jewish people have been exiled over and over again from the land, only to be either taken into slavery, or persecuted and murdered by the thousands and millions throughout history- the fact that the Jewish race has survived to come back and reclaim their land can only be by an Act of God. Think about it- When the Jews were slaves in Egypt, many of them, including male babies were slaughtered, yet God called them out, and lead them eventually back to the land promised to them. After centuries, they were conquered by the Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Greek and Romans. During all of these times, God brought back a remnant of His chosen people to live in the land of Israel again. During these times, also, they suffered much through slavery and death. During the Roman times, they were persecuted- even after Roman Christendom, they were slaughtered by the Christians during the Crusades. They were on the verge of extinction- not only by the Nazi's of Hitler's Germany, but also in countries such as Russia. They have been driven from new homelands, such as Great Britain, and even now, they are still victims of hate crimes all over the world.
Yet- they still survived, to eventually reclaim the Nation of Israel in 1948- and recaptured their Holy City of Jerusalem in 1967. In the past 40 years, the Jewish State has come up against incredible odds, and re established their national homeland and has built a lasting sovereignty over it for the first time since the 6th century BC. They are still there. After all the plans by other nations to try and divide the land, they are still there. After all the diplomatic, military and media pressure, especially of the past 20 or so years, and especially in the past 10 years- they have still endured, and still are there. God Keeps His Word!
More on Israel next time.
Israel.
A country that is about the size of Rhode Island, has been the most disputed piece of real estate in the entire world. Why is this tiny little country in the news so much? Why is this tiny piece of land so hard fought over? Why is it that as the end times draw closer, this peace of land will be the focal point of all world governments and religions?
From the time when a man named Abram was called by God to leave his home in what is now modern Iraq, this land has been fought over. Abram- later called Abraham obeyed God's command to leave his country, and his idols and go to a new place that God promised him and his descendants forever. There are prophecies of Christ in the stories of Abraham, and the beginning of the Israeli people. Throughout many of the old time prophecies- those in the Old Testament, and the rest of the Books, Christ and Israel is the focal point.
Abraham was declared by God to be righteous- before the Law was even handed down. Abraham was declared As God's own by God Himself- as a promise to be a new people- called Israel. Why did God give so many promises to Abraham, and find him righteous among men? Because of Abraham's faith. He wasn't perfect- but he demonstrated his faith to God over and over again- and again by his son Isaac.
Now, you can read the whole account of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob here, but let's get back to what makes Israel so special. Simple- it was by faith and worship on the part of Abraham, promise through his son Isaac, and the nation through Jacob- that Israel was and still is God's chosen people- the "Apple of His eye".
Now, Abraham had 2 sons- Ishmael came first- but Ishmael was born out of natural/physical seed of Abraham through the Egyptian Hagar. Isaac was the son born spiritually- that is, he was conceived when it was physically impossible for Sarah- Abraham's wife to conceive children. It is through the spiritual son that God continued His promise. A large part of the problems we see in the middle east is conflict between the physical son Ishmael's descendants (Arab nations) and the spiritual Isaac's descendants (Israel).
Many, if not all Arab peoples believe that the covenant was between Ishmael-and Israel believes the covenant is between God and Isaac. The rest of the descendants however, from Isaac- beginning with Jacob, prove that the covenant of the promise- not only of the land, but also where the redeemer of the world would come, is through Isaac, as Jacob, his son, later began to be known as Israel.
Why is this all so important? Because of what God has blessed the world with through Israel. Consider: The nation of Israel was and is considered to be God's children- and it was through this nation, that Christ came, so that all people could be God's children also. Israel is the only nation who has seen the Shekina Glory- The Glorious Presence of God. He appeared to them as the pillar of fire and light as He led them out of Egypt, and in the Temple that was later built in Jerusalem. Someday, the world will also see the Glory of God in Jerusalem again, when Jesus comes back and rules from the Holy city during the millennium period.
God never breaks His covenants, and they are everlasting- therefore, the covenant between Israel and God is still very much the same now as it was when God made it between Himself and Abraham and his descendants. It was also through Israel that God blessed the world with the Law. He handed the law down to Israel, and many existing countries today have their basic legal systems based on that Law. Even those who don't- there is a basic moral code that transcends all people, nations, races- those as knowing that it is wrong to murder, wrong to lie, cheat and steal etc. The Holy Scriptures also have been a blessing to the world through Israel. The thousands of years of meticulously transcribing the scriptures from generation to generation, down to every detail has been carried out by Jewish scribes. The fact that the Dead Sea scrolls show that the earliest scriptures are the same as much later manuscripts has been undisputed by Biblical and archaeological scholars. The Promise of the world's redeemer also came from Israel- even at the time of Moses, Israel was promised this One would come some day, as he stated, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people."
Now, again, some Muslims believe that Moses was talking about Muhammad, or their Mahdi (their messiah)- but clearly, Moses was talking TO the Israelis, as someone from among Israel, the "brethren". It is impossible then to believe that Moses was talking about Mohammad since Mohammad is a descendant of Ishmael. The world has been blessed through Israel from the time of Abraham- continuing today, and will continue until Jesus comes back.
Now, we've touched a little on why Israel is important- as God's chosen people- and also a little on why there is conflict between Israel and her Arab neighbors. Now then, the land- it was promised by God- who created the universe, and the earth, and everything in it- to belong to Israel. He didn't say, "Here, rest in this land until you are ready to continue on your journey". He said, "This land I give to you and your descendants forever."
There has been a long time though where the Jews were not in the land given to them. They have been in exile, scattered among the nations of the whole earth, as a judgment from God for their disobedience, and unrepentant ways when they worshiped other gods, followed ungodly practices and practiced immorality. God though- because He has always loved His people, promised that some day, He would gather them all back into His land, where they would be at peace and have security- that He again would reside in the Holy city (Jerusalem)- He would be their God, and they would be His people. This is very important, because Old and New Testament prophecies declare that the people would return to their land in the times near the end. "I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)
This is what is happening now, and has been happening ever since Israel became a nation again after nearly 2000 years of exile. People have been steadily migrating from every nation on earth- and in these days, even during the last war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and all the trouble from Palestinian uprisings- they are still coming. They are coming from relatively safe places like the United States and Canada- going to a tiny nation that is always under the threat of war. Why would they be so willing to leave only to go to a place that is on the brink of attacks? Some of the reason could be an upsurge of anti Semitism that is happening in places all over the world- but even this could be because God is calling them back as He promised.
Israel is by all thought and reason, a miracle in of itself. The fact that the Jewish people have been exiled over and over again from the land, only to be either taken into slavery, or persecuted and murdered by the thousands and millions throughout history- the fact that the Jewish race has survived to come back and reclaim their land can only be by an Act of God. Think about it- When the Jews were slaves in Egypt, many of them, including male babies were slaughtered, yet God called them out, and lead them eventually back to the land promised to them. After centuries, they were conquered by the Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Greek and Romans. During all of these times, God brought back a remnant of His chosen people to live in the land of Israel again. During these times, also, they suffered much through slavery and death. During the Roman times, they were persecuted- even after Roman Christendom, they were slaughtered by the Christians during the Crusades. They were on the verge of extinction- not only by the Nazi's of Hitler's Germany, but also in countries such as Russia. They have been driven from new homelands, such as Great Britain, and even now, they are still victims of hate crimes all over the world.
Yet- they still survived, to eventually reclaim the Nation of Israel in 1948- and recaptured their Holy City of Jerusalem in 1967. In the past 40 years, the Jewish State has come up against incredible odds, and re established their national homeland and has built a lasting sovereignty over it for the first time since the 6th century BC. They are still there. After all the plans by other nations to try and divide the land, they are still there. After all the diplomatic, military and media pressure, especially of the past 20 or so years, and especially in the past 10 years- they have still endured, and still are there. God Keeps His Word!
More on Israel next time.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Is America in the Bible?
When I was on AOL Blogs about a hundred years ago, I wrote a few times about how America is not in the Bible. The following article is one of the best I have seen on this topic, and although it will not be popular with most folks, those who believe in the prophecies of the Bible will understand this completely. I pray that people who have doubts or don't understand the Bible will learn and understand the signs of the times we are in. I pray that they will see the world through the Holy Spirit- not the way we are used to looking at things.
Mark Hitchcock Discusses the US as a Following Nation
By Nathan Jones
Instead of a leading nation, will the United States of America in the end times become a following nation?
Dr. David Reagan and I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Mark Hitchcock on the show Christ in Prophecy. Mark is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor of Faith Bible Church located in Oklahoma, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also a much in demand speaker at Bible prophecy conferences all over the nation.
Dr. Hitchcock was invited to answer questions based on his book The Late Great United States. The subtitle of Mark's fascinating book — What Bible Prophecy Reveals About America's Last Days — states the purpose. The book digs deep into the Bible, mining for any textual nugget that might reveal some value as to the United States' future as an end time player.
The United States as a Following Nation
Dr. Hitchcock: I don't think America is mentioned in Bible prophecy. I don't see America anywhere, but then that raises a really large question of why? Of course, a lot of people would say, "Well, we are not mentioned in the Bible just like a lot of countries are not mentioned." Canada isn't mentioned. Brazil isn't mentioned.
Dr. Reagan: Yes, but they are not dominating the world.
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right.
Nathan Jones: They're not AMERICA!
Dr. Hitchcock: I have never been to a conference and been asked, "Where is Canada in prophecy, or where is Brazil?" But, it makes sense that people would ask about the U.S. because we currently are the most dominant political, economic, and military nation that has ever existed.
Dr. Reagan: And, it is even more pressing when you consider the fact that the signs of the times indicate we are right on the threshold of the Tribulation.
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right. We are the great protector of Israel as well. Plus, God did mention nations that were far away from Israel. He mentions Rosh which we know is Russia. He mentions the kings of the East, some probably from China. So, God did mention places far away. If He had wanted to mention the U.S. He could have. The fact that we are not there leads me to believe that something will happen to our country that will cause us to go from being a leading nation to being a following nation.
Dr. Reagan: What do you think that is?
Dr. Hitchcock: There are a number of different reasons we can look at today. Since the Bible doesn't tell us, we then have to engage in some speculation, but I think it is speculation that is justified.
We can look at our world today and see that oil is our Achilles' heel. Back when the Arab Oil Embargo happened in 1973 and 1974, we were importing 35% of our oil and we said we've got to get off this oil addiction. Well, now we're importing 70%! Those nations have us literally over a barrel with oil, and that is a serious thing.
Another possibility is that we have the whole economic crisis, and our nation has adopted policies that are clearly going to bankrupt us. California is a good example of huge economies going bankrupt. Officially, California is already bankrupt.
The national debt clock has been spinning — 10 billion, 10 trillion, 11 trillion. Really, the amount of money becomes almost meaningless after reaching such debt. We are not selling as much as we're buying. China is mainly underwriting and financing all of this debt. We are the greatest debtor nation in all of history.
Another possibility is radical Islam. Could there be a nuclear 9/11? I hate to even say that. God forbid that would happen because we love this country and we don't want something like that to take place, but it could.
Dr. Reagan: All a terrorist would have to do is float a merchant ship into New York Harbor with a suicide crew, set off a nuclear weapon, and this nation would be in utter chaos. We would have military law overnight.
Dr. Hitchcock: Think of what that would do to our nation financially, but more importantly psychologically. There are people in this world who wake up every morning, spend all day, and then go to bed at night thinking about how they can bring down the United States which they call the "Great Satan." Today a radical Islamic attack is a very real possibility, something that horrifies us to think of it, but it certainly could take place.
Those are some of the kinds of things that we can look out there and speculate on. We are certainly looking at a collapse from within. Just look at the moral fiber of our country and the weakening of it and the way this country has moved past biblical values.
Dr. Reagan: It is what happened to the Roman Empire. It is what happened to the Russian Empire.
Nathan Jones: History's proven that any nation that adopts homosexuality as a way of life, that is the last chapter in their history.
Dr. Hitchcock: Alexander Tytler years ago explained the different phases that nations go through from birth to death. Did you know that the length of time for the existence of any of the world's greatest powers has been about 200 years? That means the United States is on borrowed time as a country.
There is a biblical event that I think points to what could happen to America — the Rapture. The Rapture is that future event when Christ is going to descend from Heaven and all believers on the Earth are going to disappear the Bible says in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Every believer on the face of the earth is going to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
That is an event the Bible gives that to me provides a very good reason as to what could cause this country to falter. When the Rapture takes place there will be believers raptured from all over the world, but America by any estimation has the largest percentage of true believers who know Jesus Christ as their Savior. There are more believers in the U.S. than all of Western Europe and England put together, where it could be below 1% in those nations.
I will never forget years ago when I was traveling from over near Ephesus to Ismer, Turkey. While riding up around the edge of the city I looked down on a city of 3 million people and learned there are only about 2,000 or 3,000 believers living there. I realized that when the Rapture happens they will never know the difference in population. This American on the bus who disappeared, well they could care less.
Now, in the United States, truly born-again believers in Christ may be about 8% to 10% according to the best statistics I have ever read on the people in this country. With believers gone the salt and light is gone. Now, you talk about a drop on the Dow Jones the next day!
Dr. Reagan: You are talking about the Rapture as an event separate and apart from the Second Coming?
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right, I would say that the Lord's coming is going to happen in two phases. There are not two Second Comings. The Lord is going to come back to the Earth at His Second Coming, but at least seven years earlier the Rapture will occur and we are going to be caught up and meet Him in the air.
Dr. Reagan: When Jesus appears in the heavens at the Rapture He is not going to come right back down to the Earth. When He appears, all believers both living and dead are taken up. You know, when that happens there will be absolute total chaos in this country.
Dr. Hitchcock: There would be, and all over the world, but especially here in this country.
Dr. Reagan: We've got born again Christians in key positions all over this country — military, education, business — you name it. The only way this nation could continue to exist would be to have military marshall law overnight. Think of all the churches that would suddenly be raided, with people stealing the sound boxes and stealing the computers and everything they could get their hands on.
Nathan Jones: We think that the immorality is bad now, but can you imagine with the removal of the Church how removed the restraining influence on the government will be? Can you imagine the immorality that would suddenly be legalized?
Dr. Hitchcock: Yes, immorality would run rampant once all the believers are taken out, and so too any support for Israel, which is the one thing I believe even with our nation as bad off as we are in, is staying God's hand against our country. Overall, we still have always been a country that's supported Israel. Now, that is beginning to wane seriously in our country and it's something we need to be very concerned about, but I think over our history we've received good marks on our report card for how we have treated the Jewish people. God has blessed our nation greatly because of that.
Once all the Christians disappear, the moral rot will deepen in our country, the support for Israel will be taken away, and that I think would deepen what evil takes place here.
I also think Europe will rise when the U.S. wanes. Europe right now is the strongest economy in the world. Did you know the European Union is going to lose less then 1% of their population to the Rapture, while we will lose 8-10% of our population? America will become at that time I believe a following nation rather than a leading nation in the world.
Mark Hitchcock Discusses the US as a Following Nation
By Nathan Jones
Instead of a leading nation, will the United States of America in the end times become a following nation?
Dr. David Reagan and I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Mark Hitchcock on the show Christ in Prophecy. Mark is a leading Bible prophecy expert, prolific author who has penned over 20 books on the end times, senior pastor of Faith Bible Church located in Oklahoma, and adjunct faculty member of the Dallas Theological Seminary. He is also a much in demand speaker at Bible prophecy conferences all over the nation.
Dr. Hitchcock was invited to answer questions based on his book The Late Great United States. The subtitle of Mark's fascinating book — What Bible Prophecy Reveals About America's Last Days — states the purpose. The book digs deep into the Bible, mining for any textual nugget that might reveal some value as to the United States' future as an end time player.
The United States as a Following Nation
Dr. Hitchcock: I don't think America is mentioned in Bible prophecy. I don't see America anywhere, but then that raises a really large question of why? Of course, a lot of people would say, "Well, we are not mentioned in the Bible just like a lot of countries are not mentioned." Canada isn't mentioned. Brazil isn't mentioned.
Dr. Reagan: Yes, but they are not dominating the world.
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right.
Nathan Jones: They're not AMERICA!
Dr. Hitchcock: I have never been to a conference and been asked, "Where is Canada in prophecy, or where is Brazil?" But, it makes sense that people would ask about the U.S. because we currently are the most dominant political, economic, and military nation that has ever existed.
Dr. Reagan: And, it is even more pressing when you consider the fact that the signs of the times indicate we are right on the threshold of the Tribulation.
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right. We are the great protector of Israel as well. Plus, God did mention nations that were far away from Israel. He mentions Rosh which we know is Russia. He mentions the kings of the East, some probably from China. So, God did mention places far away. If He had wanted to mention the U.S. He could have. The fact that we are not there leads me to believe that something will happen to our country that will cause us to go from being a leading nation to being a following nation.
Dr. Reagan: What do you think that is?
Dr. Hitchcock: There are a number of different reasons we can look at today. Since the Bible doesn't tell us, we then have to engage in some speculation, but I think it is speculation that is justified.
We can look at our world today and see that oil is our Achilles' heel. Back when the Arab Oil Embargo happened in 1973 and 1974, we were importing 35% of our oil and we said we've got to get off this oil addiction. Well, now we're importing 70%! Those nations have us literally over a barrel with oil, and that is a serious thing.
Another possibility is that we have the whole economic crisis, and our nation has adopted policies that are clearly going to bankrupt us. California is a good example of huge economies going bankrupt. Officially, California is already bankrupt.
The national debt clock has been spinning — 10 billion, 10 trillion, 11 trillion. Really, the amount of money becomes almost meaningless after reaching such debt. We are not selling as much as we're buying. China is mainly underwriting and financing all of this debt. We are the greatest debtor nation in all of history.
Another possibility is radical Islam. Could there be a nuclear 9/11? I hate to even say that. God forbid that would happen because we love this country and we don't want something like that to take place, but it could.
Dr. Reagan: All a terrorist would have to do is float a merchant ship into New York Harbor with a suicide crew, set off a nuclear weapon, and this nation would be in utter chaos. We would have military law overnight.
Dr. Hitchcock: Think of what that would do to our nation financially, but more importantly psychologically. There are people in this world who wake up every morning, spend all day, and then go to bed at night thinking about how they can bring down the United States which they call the "Great Satan." Today a radical Islamic attack is a very real possibility, something that horrifies us to think of it, but it certainly could take place.
Those are some of the kinds of things that we can look out there and speculate on. We are certainly looking at a collapse from within. Just look at the moral fiber of our country and the weakening of it and the way this country has moved past biblical values.
Dr. Reagan: It is what happened to the Roman Empire. It is what happened to the Russian Empire.
Nathan Jones: History's proven that any nation that adopts homosexuality as a way of life, that is the last chapter in their history.
Dr. Hitchcock: Alexander Tytler years ago explained the different phases that nations go through from birth to death. Did you know that the length of time for the existence of any of the world's greatest powers has been about 200 years? That means the United States is on borrowed time as a country.
There is a biblical event that I think points to what could happen to America — the Rapture. The Rapture is that future event when Christ is going to descend from Heaven and all believers on the Earth are going to disappear the Bible says in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Every believer on the face of the earth is going to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
That is an event the Bible gives that to me provides a very good reason as to what could cause this country to falter. When the Rapture takes place there will be believers raptured from all over the world, but America by any estimation has the largest percentage of true believers who know Jesus Christ as their Savior. There are more believers in the U.S. than all of Western Europe and England put together, where it could be below 1% in those nations.
I will never forget years ago when I was traveling from over near Ephesus to Ismer, Turkey. While riding up around the edge of the city I looked down on a city of 3 million people and learned there are only about 2,000 or 3,000 believers living there. I realized that when the Rapture happens they will never know the difference in population. This American on the bus who disappeared, well they could care less.
Now, in the United States, truly born-again believers in Christ may be about 8% to 10% according to the best statistics I have ever read on the people in this country. With believers gone the salt and light is gone. Now, you talk about a drop on the Dow Jones the next day!
Dr. Reagan: You are talking about the Rapture as an event separate and apart from the Second Coming?
Dr. Hitchcock: That's right, I would say that the Lord's coming is going to happen in two phases. There are not two Second Comings. The Lord is going to come back to the Earth at His Second Coming, but at least seven years earlier the Rapture will occur and we are going to be caught up and meet Him in the air.
Dr. Reagan: When Jesus appears in the heavens at the Rapture He is not going to come right back down to the Earth. When He appears, all believers both living and dead are taken up. You know, when that happens there will be absolute total chaos in this country.
Dr. Hitchcock: There would be, and all over the world, but especially here in this country.
Dr. Reagan: We've got born again Christians in key positions all over this country — military, education, business — you name it. The only way this nation could continue to exist would be to have military marshall law overnight. Think of all the churches that would suddenly be raided, with people stealing the sound boxes and stealing the computers and everything they could get their hands on.
Nathan Jones: We think that the immorality is bad now, but can you imagine with the removal of the Church how removed the restraining influence on the government will be? Can you imagine the immorality that would suddenly be legalized?
Dr. Hitchcock: Yes, immorality would run rampant once all the believers are taken out, and so too any support for Israel, which is the one thing I believe even with our nation as bad off as we are in, is staying God's hand against our country. Overall, we still have always been a country that's supported Israel. Now, that is beginning to wane seriously in our country and it's something we need to be very concerned about, but I think over our history we've received good marks on our report card for how we have treated the Jewish people. God has blessed our nation greatly because of that.
Once all the Christians disappear, the moral rot will deepen in our country, the support for Israel will be taken away, and that I think would deepen what evil takes place here.
I also think Europe will rise when the U.S. wanes. Europe right now is the strongest economy in the world. Did you know the European Union is going to lose less then 1% of their population to the Rapture, while we will lose 8-10% of our population? America will become at that time I believe a following nation rather than a leading nation in the world.
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