Bible Prophecy

The Return of a Lost Tribe of Israel to Zion

{image_1}We are living in extraordinary times. The hand of G-d in the affairs of man is evident, and there is no greater proof of this than the ingathering of the exiles from the four corners of the earth. “Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth,” declares the L-rd (Isaiah 43:6). Over the past sixty years, since the founding of the State of Israel, that is precisely what He has been doing, as Jews from Russia, Ethiopia, and elsewhere have all heard the sound of the great shofar [ram’s horn] and come to Jerusalem.

Why Israel Matters to the World

{image_1}Israel played a role in developing the cell phone; it has an important research location for the Intel computer processor; it’s one of the first nations to help disaster-struck Haiti; and it’s a world-leader in defense technologies. Yet, it’s a tiny country consisting of roughly 7 million people and a territory about the same as Wales, the state of New Jersey, or Kruger National Park in South Africa. Prior to recent natural gas discoveries, it was generally considered devoid of natural resources.

When I AM says I Will

 {image_1}Along with over a billion people worldwide, I watched the wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton.{image_2} It was wonderful to see the way God was a central part of their very Christian wedding. At the crucial moment in the ceremony, I clearly heard William and then Catherine say “I will,” and upon hearing those words of covenant, they were pronounced husband and wife. We pray for their happiness and that their commitment to one another will last a lifetime just as they pledged “till death do us part.” Happily about half of all marriages do last a lifetime. The other half sadly ends in divorce. It seems that many people today have a problem with commitment. Their “I wills” aren’t always forever.

The Days of Noah

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Have you ever considered that the violence, immorality, and uncertainty that surround us today are really nothing new? They have been the unfortunate companions of humanity throughout history. The Bible tells the recurring story of God’s judgment on such behaviour as mankind repeatedly slipped into depravity. There are, however, certain generations that have the dubious distinction of being singled out by the writers of Scripture as the worst of the worst. Noah’s was such a generation.

Signs of the Times

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Every news report we hear reveals another crisis, and it seems most areas of human existence are affected. Financially weak currencies, unstable stock markets, and overwhelming national and personal debt have many analysts theorizing that we are on the brink of a recession of a magnitude not seen since the great depression. Morally, we live in an age that would shock our grandparents. Then there is the threat of world war, as radical Islam confronts Western civilization. Physically, we see an increase in earthquakes, floods, tornados, and droughts. We are reminded of the words of Yeshua (Jesus): “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7–8).

Messiah

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Both Christians and Jews eagerly long for the coming of the Messiah. Yet, the topic of Messiah is one that has caused great division between Christianity and Judaism. The greatest dispute we have between us is the identity of the Messiah. As Christians, we know that Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) is the Messiah. Jews equally “know” that He is not the Messiah. The Jewish rejection of Yeshua as the Messiah has been a catalyst for Christian persecution of Jews throughout the centuries. What are the Jewish people looking for in the Messiah? Why did the Jewish people reject Yeshua? Did Yeshua claim to be the Messiah? I recognize that to adequately address this subject would require volumes, yet it is a worthy and important topic for even the length of a Teaching Letter.

Why Stand with Israel?

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In my travels around the world, I have the opportunity to meet Christians from widely diverse church backgrounds. Bridges for Peace is an interdenominational organization, and so we are invited to speak in many different denominations. Fairly often, someone will come up to me and be honestly puzzled as they express the fact that they don’t understand why they should be interested in the nation and people of Israel. In this teaching letter, I want to give you a few thoughts about why all Christians should care about Israel.

What the World Needs Now

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Surprisingly, it is Israel.

No one can deny the incredible tensions that exist in Israel today as people the world over focus their attention on that tiny strip of land. Could it be that God wants to use those very tensions in Israel, and the attention of the nations, as a beacon of truth to reach a postmodern generation? Further, could this even be another fulfillment of Genesis 28:14? “Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”