Looming War: The Continuing Betrayal of Israel and Its Hope in Jesus the Messiah/Part 1

By: John G. Weldon, PhD; ©2011

Dr. Weldon states that the chances for war in the Middle East have probably never been greater. Read below to find out why he says this.

Looming War: The Continuing Betrayal of Israel and Its Hope in Jesus the Messiah

Jerusalem Day

“The situation of Israel is once again heading toward extreme peril.” — Marvin Olasky, May 18, 2011^[1]

“The battle for the Jewish State’s survival promises to become even more intense in the coming months.” — www.OneJerusalem.org, June 3, 2011

Part One – Looming war and continuing betrayal?

The chances for war in the Middle East have probably never been greater, for reasons we will discuss below.

The Bible also predicts future war for Israel and the surrounding nations, indeed many nations. In fact, “all the nations of the earth” will be gathered against her:

“This is the word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: “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 an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves… On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 12:1-3, 9)

“I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.” (Joel 3:2)

While we are not yet at the time of this particular war, current events just might be setting the stage, regardless of when this future war may be. Israel seems to be facing three prophesied wars yet to occur: those mentioned in Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38-39,^[2] and the final war of Armageddon, cited above and in the book of Revelation. In each case, Israel will be divinely protected, but there will also certainly be much suffering.

Unfortunately, the world as a whole today is increasingly opposed to the state of Israel. It could also be argued that the world has betrayed Israel by not standing with it during its current crisis (see below). This is incredible, as we are still in the historic shadows of the Holocaust.

The United Nations’ bias against Israel is illustrated by the number of meritless or unreasonable resolutions against Israel, more than against all member nations combined, about 200 to 20 in one sample. The now discredited but blistering anti-Israeli Goldstone Report (2009) had 118 nations in the UN vote for it and only 18 against it.

Further, time and again the world has sided with many extremist Palestinians, most of whom have little or no interest in peace and, like Iran and other Arab/Muslim nations, largely wish to see Israel eradicated, or would not be displeased with that outcome. The recent collaboration between the Palestinian Authority and the terrorist organization Hamas is one illustration of the hatred of Israel. Forming a government dedicated to Israel’s destruction is hardly a sign of interest in peace.

Of course, this isn’t to say there aren’t peaceful Palestinians and indeed Palestinian believers in Christ who need our prayers. (To be sure, we need to pray for all the Jews and non-Jews of Jerusalem and the Middle East, especially that they would come to know the true Messiah.) It is to say that this appalling situation of enmity towards Israel exists despite Israel being the only Democratic and free nation state in the entire Middle East, and the only friend of America in the region. Surrounded by a sea of enemies whose hatred appears relentless, Israel alone has made major sacrifices for peace, but what it receives in return is more hatred, rocket attacks, and threats of war (now, even from some leaders in Egypt).

Islam is a religious and political belief system whose legal basis is primarily authoritarian and totalitarian. Sadly, largely as a result of Islamic influence, most Arabs in the Middle East have not experienced the blessings of true freedom, especially religious and political freedom and particularly women’s rights. In fact, 99.5% of Arabs are not truly free. This means that only about one half of one percent of all Arabs in the Middle East has freedom – and yet each one of them lives in Israel. ^[3] The one nation the extremists want to destroy the most, perhaps even more than America, is the one nation with democracy and freedom.

If it is true that wars are rare between democratic and free nations, then given the status quo with the Arab nations, what real chance for peace does Israel have? Given the anti-democratic nature of Islam, who can logically be optimistic that the “Arab Spring” will result in new, free democracies in the Middle East? To the contrary, as Dr. Michael Schurer, the former director of the CIA’s bin Laden unit pointed out of the so-called “Arab Spring” uprisings (somewhat tongue-in-cheek): “The idea that Obama is pushing, that 1.4 billion Muslims are going to abandon their faith in favor of secular democracy, which most of them regard as either irreligious or pagan, can only come from someone educated at Harvard.”^[4]

In addition, Dr. Schurer correctly observed the following: “We’re not seeing democracy grow in the Middle East, what we’re seeing is a movement toward Islam.” ^[5] (Contextually, he was referring to Islamism, or radical Muslim political ideology.) Not unexpectedly, the terrorist state of Iran is the biggest winner by far from the “Arab Spring;” almost every nation in the Middle East now has closer ties with Iran than before. Obviously, given the Iranian desire to destroy the Jewish state, this bodes ill for Israel.

 

Palestinian duplicity

To some extent, the “Palestinian” people themselves are victims of indoctrination by radical Muslims who want to destroy Israel. The hatred, historical revisionism and other lies that spew daily from Middle Eastern media is appalling, as documented by the Palestinian Media Studies branch of the Middle East Media Research Institute^[6] and other organizations. Somehow, the distortions never seem to be questioned by the Palestinian people. Indeed, which of the 16 Palestinian political groups doesn’t support radicalism or terrorism in some form or fashion? “The major political platforms and preoccupations of each group, and their activities, are related to destruction of Israel or ending of the occupation… All the groups support armed struggle against Israel as long as the occupation continues.”^[7] For many and probably most of these groups, of course, the term “occupation” refers to the existence of Israel. In Gaza, the Palestinians happily and democratically voted terrorists to rule over them. Regardless, the idea of a Palestinian people itself is largely a myth, a political ruse for further war against Israel, something coming to fruition today. As one Palestinian leader correctly observed:

“The Palestinian people does [sic] not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism.” ^[8]

The Palestinians are thus also victims of the Arab nations that surround them, both in the past and today.^[9] Ironically, in a practical sense, Israel has done more for the Palestinian people that all the Arab nations combined; perhaps that explains why polling reveals that the large majority of Arabs living in Jerusalem today do not want to see Islamic rule there: they, at least, have tasted the benefits of freedom.

 

The chosen people, the incarnation and the modern world

Considered historically, it’s hardly surprising that a world which largely ignores God would also neglect or despise the nation and people He has chosen as His own, not for a time, but for eternity (Deuteronomy 4:2; 7:6-9; 14:2; Amos 3:2; 1 kings 10:9; Isaiah 45:17; 56:5; Psalm 125:1; 132:13-14; Hosea 2:19). This is perhaps especially true given the fact that God Himself became a Jew in the incarnation (John 1; Philippians 2).^[10] Consider a few examples of the world’s hostile treatment of Israel, not that this is necessarily something new historically:

— Iran is the largest state sponsor of terror in the world. The world still refuses to strongly deal with Iran’s nuclear program, with potentially nightmarish results. As noted, Iran is the big winner in the “Arab spring,” having significantly increased its power and influence in the region. Iran has also decidedly promised to annihilate Israel and is moving ever-closer to nuclear weapons along with the missiles to deliver them farther and farther. Unless something unexpected happens, Iranian eschatology (end times teaching) concerning the Mahdi or alleged world’s Savior will in all likelihood lead Iran to attack Israel. Israel knows this and is prepared to attack Iran before it goes nuclear, something that could happen as soon as this year.^[11]

• As a result of the alleged democratic “Arab Spring,” Egypt has become more radicalized, has actually threatened war with Israel and also opened the Gaza border, something that will lead to the free flow of weapons and terrorists into Israel and all kinds of trouble for the Jewish nation.

• The European Union has threatened Israel to bring about a two-state “solution” and the giving up of East Jerusalem to the Palestinians. (The EU – and the US – indirectly funds the terrorist Palestinians through billions of dollars (in often misappropriated) aid to Gaza. (See www.eufunding.org)^[12]

• Ironically, Israel today has no direct “peace” partners that aren’t terrorists or supporters of terrorists, yet the world insists Israel participate with enemies who want to destroy it, something no other nation would permit for itself.

• Even the US President has attempted to intimidate Israel to revert to its indefensible pre-1967 borders, something that today would lead to war because those borders would place the entire nation at risk.

• Around the world, anti-Semitism is increasing at alarming rates, as documented in various reports.^[13]

• In light of the June 2010 Gaza Flotilla repercussions, the upcoming late-June 2011 Gaza “peace” flotilla-redux (this time with an alleged 28 nations represented), could lead to a new crisis with Israel at the center.^[14]

• As noted, Palestinian and Muslim hatred for Jews and Israel is continually encouraged and taught in the Middle Eastern media, even in vicious ways, every day, to their own children. (See Palestinian Media Watch; palwatch.org; www.memri.org/palestinianmediastudies.) The likelihood of a third Palestinian uprising or intifada increases daily. The Facebook “Third Intifada” page called upon Arabs to march on Israel’s borders on June 7, 2011 the anniversary of the Six-Day War, or as it is called on Facebook, the anniversary of the “theft of Jerusalem,” one of innumerable illustrations that most Palestinians and Arabs have little interest in the facts of history. Thousands did march, in violent protests; just a foretaste of hoped-for future events, in hopes of adding pressure for a Palestinian state.

• In September, when the UN opens, the terrorist Palestinian Authority^[15] (and probably the UN, EU, US, and OIC) will likely unilaterally demand that a Palestinian state be created by Fiat, which could also lead to war.

• Israel today is almost isolated with few if any true friends (Canada is one exception) – yet in a world composed of 193 nation states (excluding Vatican City, whose Bishops are also no friend of Israel^[16]). With the continuing consequences of the so-called “Arab Spring,” Israel may become even more isolated.^[17]

• America was once a good friend of Israel, but with the election of President Barack Obama that is no longer the case. In the minds of many, including this author, he is most extreme president, not only since the formation of the modern state of Israel, but in US history.^[18] Along with the Democratic Party, he may not only destroy the American nation economically, but he is clearly more pro-Palestinian/Muslim and anti-Israel than any president since the state of Israel was reborn in 1948. This is despite some of his political “pro-Israel” sounding statements and actions.^[19] As Caroline Glick, who writes a column for the Jerusalem Post observed, “Conceptually and substantively, Obama [has] abandoned the US alliance with Israel.”^[20] (The unfortunate situation with the president is that he has said one thing and done another so often that it is difficult to trust what he says.)

In sum, Israel is facing increasing danger, perhaps as never before, and the likelihood is that war will soon be foisted upon it, with an unknown outcome.

 

Mutual blessings

Individual Christians, Christian churches and organizations need to be praying for Israel and supporting it in whatever ways the Lord leads. Just as we have benefited so richly from the Jews spiritually, let us now help them politically, physically, and spiritually. “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!” “… Do not be arrogant toward the branches [Israelites]. If you [Gentiles] are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.” (Romans 11:1, 18)

To the Israelites “belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ [Messiah] who is God overall, blessed forever.” (Romans 9:4-5)

Granted, “not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring” and “not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel” (Romans 9:6-7). Nevertheless a remnant of Jewish believers in the Messiah has always remained since the time of Christ (Romans 9:27) and after “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” “all Israel will be saved.” (Romans11:25-26).

Thus, “as regard the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11: 28-29)

What this means is that because Gentile Christians have been the beneficiaries of incalculable spiritual and other wealth from the Jews, they should return blessings to the Jews in kind, both spiritual and physical. Remember what the apostle Paul said about the impoverished and persecuted believing Jews in Jerusalem: “They [the Gentiles] were pleased to do it [share blessings], and indeed they owe it to them. 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) But if we owe them material blessings, already being the recipient of their spiritual blessings, how much more than do we now owe them our spiritual blessings as well?

These blessings include evangelism efforts to share Jesus as Messiah with Jewish people, standing publicly and diplomatically with the state of Israel (divinely reborn as predicted many times in Scripture), helping poor Jews worldwide, and in whatever other way the God of Israel should lead. Just as Israel may soon face its greatest crisis, and Jews worldwide may, before long, experience more and more persecution (perhaps along with Christians), so also a great spiritual harvest may also soon be gathered from both Jews and Gentiles. Persecution historically produces rich spiritual rewards, personally and evangelistically.

In parts two and three we will look briefly at the importance of theology as it relates to our discussion, and biblically document that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.

Read Part 2 >>

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1. ↑ Marvin Olasky, “In Coming Years Israel Could Face Problems Threatening its Existence,” May 18, 2011; http://www.crosswalk.com/news/israel-insights/in-coming-years-israel-could-face-problems-threatening-its-existence.html. fckLR
2. ↑ See Bill Salus, “Psalm 83 verses Ezekiel 38;”&nbsp; http://www.raptureready.com/soap/psalm83-2.html<nowiki>; Bill Salis, </nowiki>Isralestine.
3. ↑ “Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa, only Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy real democratic rights. I want you to stop for a second and think about that.&nbsp; Of those 300 million Arabs, less than one-half of one-percent are truly free, and they’re all citizens of Israel! This startling fact reveals a basic truth: Israel is not what is wrong about the Middle East. Israel is what is right about the Middle East.” (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before a joint session of Congress, May 24 2011); http://www.businessinsider.com/key-points-from-netanyahu-address-to-congress-on-palestine-2011-05.
4. ↑ The O’Reilly Factor, May 18, 2011.
5. ↑ Ibid.
6. ↑ See: http://www.memri.org/palestinianmediastudies.
7. ↑ “Palestinian Organizations and Parties,”; http://www.mideastweb.org/palestianparties.htm.
8. ↑ == Cf. “The Palestine Myth,” July 18, 2010; “The Myth Of Palestine,” January 6, 2006;
9. ↑ See DanielPipes.org; www.meforum.org.
10. ↑ In the second Person of the Trinity.
11. ↑ The Coming War with Iran, unpublished manuscript.
12. ↑ = Rachel Ehrenfeld, “U.S. taxpayers funding terrorist Hamas through UNRWA,” CreepingSharia.com; February 10, 2011; http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/u-s-taxpayers-funding-terrorist-hamas-through-unrwa/; Itamar Marcus, Barbara Crook, “Funding Terror Palestinian Media Watch, Tuesday, August 21, 2007,” in FrontPageMag.com; http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=27838; “U.S. dollars funding Palestinian terrorism,” May 5, 2011; (Cf. http://spectator.org/archives/2011/05/05/cut-us-funding-for-osamas-mour#; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/6004593/Israeli-seeks-damages-from-EU-over-Hamas-rocket-attacks.html) On the EU threats, “EU’s Solana threatens Netanyahu: two state solution or else!” IsraelInsider.net, March 17, 2009; http://israelinsider.net/profiles/blogs/eus-solana-threatens-netanyahu; The EU and the Middle East Peace Process; European [Union External Action Service]; http://www.eeas.europa.eu/mepp/index_en.htm =
13. ↑ E.g., Contemporary Global Anti-Semitism: a Report Provided to the United States Congress; http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/102301.pdf
14. ↑ The Miami Herald May, 9, 2011; alsofckLRfckLRhttp://article.wn.com/view/2011/05/09/Gaza_flotilla_scheduled_for_late_June_4/
15. ↑ <nowiki>E.g, IPT News [The Investigative Project on Terrorism], “The Palestinian Authority’s Terrorist Glorification,” </nowiki>http://www.investigativeproject.org/1927/the-palestinian-authoritys-terrorist-glorification.
16. ↑ “Vatican Bishops Condemn Israel,” October 23, 2010; http://www.cogwriter.com/news/religious-news/vatican-bishops-condemn-israel/<nowiki> [“Bishops from the Middle East who were summoned to Rome by the pope demanded Saturday that Israel accept U.N. resolutions calling for an end to its “occupation” of Arab lands.”] See meeting between PA Pres. Abbas and the pope June 4, 2011 at: </nowiki>http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Pope:-a-state-for-the-Palestinians,-with-peace-for-Israel,-recognized-by-its-neighbors-21742.html
17. ↑ For example, type in “Israeli isolation” on Google; Aaron Klein, the Late Great State of Israel: How Enemies Within and Without Threaten the Jewish Nation’s Survival
18. ↑ Scott Wheeler, “Obama Stimulating a Marxist Revolution Using Taxpayer Money;” http://townhall.com/columnists/ScottWheeler/2010/03/11/obama_stimulating_a_marxist_revolution_using_taxpayer_money<nowiki>; Dinesh D’Souza, </nowiki>The Roots of Obama’s Rage: Barack Obama and His Private War against the West<nowiki>; Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, </nowiki>The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration’s War on America<nowiki>; </nowiki>Stanley Kurtz, Radical-in-Chief: Barack Obama and the Untold Story of American Socialism<nowiki>; </nowiki>Charles Gasparino, Bought and Paid for: the Unholy Alliance between Barack Obama and Wall Street<nowiki>; David Limbaugh, </nowiki>Crimes Against Liberty: an Indictment of President Barack Obama<nowiki>;Thomas Sowell, </nowiki>Dismantling America: and Other Controversial EssaysAaron Klein, The Manchurian President: Barack Obama’s Ties to Communists, Socialists and Other Anti-American Extremists and The Late Great State of Israel: How Enemies Within and Without Threaten the Jewish Nation’s Survival<nowiki>; </nowiki>TheObamaFile.com<nowiki>; </nowiki>The Obama Files: http://newzeal.blogspot.com. Also at: (http://investigatingobama.blogspot.com/2010/05/obama-files-from-trevor-loudons-new.html); Ken Blackwell, Ken Klukowski, The Blueprint: Obama’s Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency<nowiki>; </nowiki>David Freddoso, The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media’s Favorite Candidate<nowiki>; Alex Jones, </nowiki>The Fall of the Republic: The Presidency of Barack Obama (Documentary); Michelle Malkin, Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats Crooks and Cronies<nowiki>; Newt Gingrich, </nowiki>To Save America: Stopping Obama’s Secular-Socialist Machine<nowiki>; </nowiki>Sally C. Pipes, The Truth About Obamacare<nowiki>; </nowiki>M. Stefan Strozier (Editor), et., al, Barack Obama: Critical Essays by World Audience Authors<nowiki>; Stephen Moore, </nowiki>How Barack Obama is Bankrupting the U.S. Economy<nowiki>; Michael Ledeen, </nowiki>Obama’s Betrayal of Israel<nowiki>; Laura Ingram, </nowiki>The Obama Diaries; David Gratzer, Why Obama’s Government Takeover of Health Care Will Be a Disaster<nowiki>; John Fund, </nowiki>How the Obama Administration Threatens to Undermine Our Elections<nowiki>; Christopher C. Horner, </nowiki>Power Grab: How Obama’s Green Policies Will Steal Your Freedom and Bankrupt America<nowiki>; </nowiki>www.obamavconstitution.com<nowiki>; </nowiki>Paul Kengor, DUPES: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century (600 pp.); Michael Savage, Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama’s Attack on Our Borders, Economy, and Security<nowiki>; </nowiki>Dick Morris, Fleeced<nowiki>; F. A. Hayek,</nowiki> The Fatal Conceit: The Errors of Socialism (The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek); Jerome R. Corsi, The Obama Nation<nowiki>; Timothy P. Carney </nowiki>Obamanomics: How Barack Obama Is Bankrupting You And Enriching His Wall Street Friends, Corporate Lobbyists, And Union Bosses<nowiki>; Marc Thiessen, </nowiki>Courting Disaster: How the CIA Kept America Safe and How Barack Obama Is Inviting the Next Attack<nowiki>; Tommy Newberry, </nowiki>The War on Success: How the Obama Agenda is Shattering the American Dream<nowiki>; Peter Schweizer, </nowiki>Architects of Ruin<nowiki>; Arthur C. Brooks, </nowiki>The Battle: How the Fight Between Free: Enterprise and Big Government Will Shape America’s Future<nowiki>; Brad O’Leary, </nowiki>The Audacity of Deceit: Barack Obama’s War on American Values<nowiki>; </nowiki>Webster Griffin Tarpley, Obama – The Postmodern Coup; Jason Mattera, Obama Zombies — How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation<nowiki>; James Simpson, “Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis,” </nowiki>American Thinker, September 28, 2008. (http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/09/barack_obama_and_the_strategy.html); Ann Coulter, Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America;
19. ↑ His calculating set up of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prior to Netanyahu’s speech to the U.S. Congress is only one example of dozens. Obama has referred to Israel’s legitimate West Bank settlements as an “occupation.” By calling for a return to the 1967 borders, he is appealing for a divided Jerusalem; by pushing Israel to negotiate with the Palestinian Authority, he is asking Israel to negotiate with terrorist Hamas. Cf, Michael Ledeen, Obama’s Betrayal of Israel.
20. ↑ Caroline Glick, “Obama’s abandonment of America,” May 20, 2011