THe Answer to a Mystery

“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery – so that you will not be wise in your own estimation – that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so, all Israel will be saved: just as it is written” (Rom. 11:25-26a).

Hey Gang:  I thought I had completed my blog-writing, prior to leaving for Israel, but there is a rapidly developing miracle coming together; I felt I should alert you so you can do some research on your own - to put meat on the skeleton. 

In the past year or so there has been tidbits showing up that indicate many Jews are beginning to recognize the emptiness in their chest cavity, just the size of Yeshua Hamashiah; they are asking very serious questions.  This is a relatively new phenomenon yet, in some ways, it is not.  We have witnessed the rise in numbers of Messianic Communities in Israel and America, and other places in the world, for more than twenty years. 

Although the number of born-again Jews is relatively small, the seed-planting program that Jesus is their long awaited for Messiah, seems to be growing at a steady and rapid pace. 

Several weeks ago, a story surfaced that the leadership of the Orthodox communities of Israel did all in their power to squelch this growing interest.  That said, the young, especially woman of Orthodox community, have been growing very cold towards the emptiness of the Orthodox teachings.   What began with a small prayer- group type, sharing this feeling with each other, began to rapidly expand throughout the communities?  It is now suggested that more than 30,000 Orthodox Jews are in serious study to find out who Jesus is, and, is He the One as John the Baptist asked?

My friends, this is no small issue.  Up until recently the Orthodox Leadership were literally willing to go to very drastic extremes to prevent the “Yeshua as Messiah” belief from penetrating their very closed world.

Joel Rosenberg shared an amazing story this week: “Have you heard that Israeli leaders are urging Jews to read through the entire Bible, verse by verse, chapter by chapter?”  Amazing, but true.    

Can you imagine President Obama, in one of his overly-frequent appearances in the media, announcing, “Now folks, this is what I believe will fix our nation. I want you to join with me and the Senators and Representatives, and all the underlings in the Belt Way- to read through the Bible.”  Every medical facility in America world receive mega calls from people who had heart attacks just hearing him say something like that.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kicked off the new school year by encouraging children to rediscover the Word of God and Biblical roots of their Jewish heritage.  Netanyahu, known by the name of Bibi to his friends, with his bride, hosted another in a series of Bible study groups in their official residence.   They are studying, “What is the connection Jews have to the Temple Mount?”    So much for separation of church and state.    (The recent ruling by the U.N that the Temple Mount has no Jewish roots and is Palestinian and has always been shows the bias of that Organization.)

Meanwhile, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, and several government officials have launched something they call the “929” Chapters.  Purpose – to encourage all Israelis – even the most secular and non-religious among the people- to continue reading verse by verse, chapter by chapter through the full Hebrew Bible or “Tanakh”, until everyone finished together in the summer of 2018 for the 70th anniversary of the prophetic rebirth of the Jewish State.  

Well, I would like to go on and give you the rest of the story, but need to take care of some last-minute details before hitting the airways so will close with this challenge!  Read the Bible through -verse by verse, chapter by chapter.  

There has been two-billion dollars’ worth of rhetoric (actual) that as filled the airways in this presidential fiasco.  It was interesting that right after that piece of information was shared, an add from a ministry came on telling us, “For one dollar a day you can feed and provide care for a starving child”.    Let’s see now, that would be two billion starving and uncared for children around the world, wouldn’t it?

Well, I best leave that lay for now and pray you will seek the Lord’s counsel and vote accordingly. Take note   of our itinerary and be diligent in your prayer covering for us.

Blessings,

P.S.  Forgot – read the morning Scripture again.  Keep in mind that huge numbers of Jews are not making that final decree to accept the Lord as Messiah and Savior but rapidly growing numbers are seeking to learn about Him.  It is my sincere opinion that the day all Jews will be saved is when Jesus comes and every eye will see Him. (Rev. 1:7). This and two bucks will get you cup of java in most hash houses.

Gramps

Gog of the Land of Magog, or Psalm 83, You Decide

“It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.  I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst.  Then the nations will know that I am the Lord.” Declares the Lord God, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight” (Ezek. 36:22b-23).

Hey Gang:  Throughout my eighty- three years on this earth I have heard Gog and Magog preached many times, often at prophecy related conferences, as the next great event facing Israel; the one that will kick the final days of earth, as we know it, into effect. 

For some reason, most pulpits are silent in what God said through Jesus, the disciples and the prophets of old -even though one fourth to one third of the Bible is prophetic.  Jesus said, “I tell you these things before they happen so that when they do happen you will believe that I am He” 

(John 13:19; 14:29; 16:4).   It seems very strange to me that every pastor of the land is not including the Prophetic Word - in this day when darkness is covering the earth and the prophets are speaking loud and clear the Words of Jesus, “One will be taken and one will be left”.

Getting back to the subject, Gog and Magog as the next great event in the history of the last day.  Several of the well- known prophecy gurus of our day appear to be firm believers in this hypothesis.   I in no way consider myself to be a prophecy guru, but have done considerable reading and studying on the subject and I disagree.

My question has always been not who is involved in that battle, but rather who is not!  Ezekiel 38 tells me Gog of Magog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal are involved.  Also involved is Persia (which we know as Iran), Ethiopia, Put, Gomer with all its troops and Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the North with all its troops. 

As I look at the Middle East map, I find the tents of Edom, [Southern Jordan]; the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; Moab [Central Jordan]; and the Hagrites [Egypt]; Gebal [Northern Lebanon]; Ammon [Northern Jordan], and Amalek [Sinai]; Philistia [Gaza Strip] with the inhabitants of Tyre [Southern Lebanon,   Assyria [Syria] also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot [Moab and Ammon above]  (Psalm 83:2-8) all touch Israel’s Borders. 

All of these nations butt up against Israel and all of these nations have a common denominator- they hate Israel and the Jews and do not want them eliminated from the land by the boot ,but rather through completion of what Hitler began in his sadistic use of the Third Reich.  “They have said, “Come, and, let us wipe them out as a nation.  That the name of Israel be remember no more” (vs. 4).

I believe the Psalmist laid the groundwork for why these nations were not mentioned in the Gog-Magog war.  “Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever, And let them be humiliated PERISH” (VS. 17).  They are no more. 

Bill Salus, in his book Isralestine wrote the following comments pertaining to Psalm 83.  “Asaph wrote this Psalm when the nation of Israel was experiencing the blessing of Abrahamic Covenant in an unprecedented manner; they were a people of prominence entering a period of prosperity and residing in their own land under the leadership of their God-ordained king David.

As a people, their focus was on the growth of the nation, and building God His first house of worship on Earth, (the Jewish Temple). Unexpectedly, Asaph introduces a futuristic threat to the Covenant  God made with their patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, – a warning so severe that the survival of the thriving nation could be in question.

Is there a more perfect description of what is happening in Israel at this very moment than verse two through 5 in Psalm 83?  “For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head.  They have taken crafty counsel against Your people.  And consulted together against Your shelter dons. They have said, “Come, let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” 

Would you say that the Middle East is a tinder box waiting for some fool too lite the fuse? Hello UN! And is there not more than a few fools willing to lite the fuse.  I wonder how long Israel will put up with the constant barrage of threats from those neighbor nations, and from all of the world, for that matter.  How long will they sit idly by, as Iran openly builds a nuclear force and makes no bones about it.  Their montra: calling Israel,  number one on their hit list the Little Satan, followed closely by America, the Big Satan. 

On one trip to Israel there was a very popular T shirt printed, “Don’t worry America, Israel will protect you!”   With what our President has done to our military - and congress has allowed like silent pussy cats- I am so very thankful that Israel is there to protect us.  Would I be surprised to wake up one of these days and hear that Bibi Netanyahu and his defense minister lost patience and released the Israel Defense Forces to do what they have known since becoming a nation? Was hangs over their Nation like the clouds in the heavens.  

Our leaders may be impressed with Iran’s bellicose posturing and threatening, all who will listen, with the use of their new toys, missiles and soon to come on board, atomic weapons, but Israel is not.  There is a very eye-opening and interested prophecy in Jeremiah 34-39 pertaining to this very arrogant and bellicose nation.    Elam is the western portion of Iran and is the location of most of Iran’s atomic infrastructure. 

It is reported that their oldest Atomic plant, which provides a huge amount of their power, sits on a seismic area.  Some have called it the most unstable place in the world and could erupt at any time.   Jeremiah 49:38 gives fair warning: “Thus says the Lord of Hosts; The finest of their might.  I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of heaven, and I will scatter them to all these winds from the four ends of heaven, and will scatter them to all these winds; And there will be no nation.  To which the outcasts of Elan will not go.”

There is another prophecy, that I believe directly points to a coming event in Israel,that we should be aware of  and watching for:  Isaiah 17:1  “The oracle concerning Damascus.  Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin”.   In verse 3 we read “The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and sovereignty from Damascus.”

There is a fourth deep concern on the part of Israel:  I believe this tie-bars with the removal of Damascus as a city.  It is believed by many that when Syria was pressured to give up their chemical weapons, they did so, to a small degree; it is also believed that, if Assad begins to lose control and sees that he is going to go the way of Saddam Hussein, Mubarak, and Kaddafi, he will suddenly find those and use them  towards Israel.

Now several points on this issue that I believe are very feasible: first, if Assad fires one chemical missile into Israel, I believe Israel will retaliate with their Sampson effect. (atomic weapons).  Most every major Islamist terrorist organization is headquartered in Damascus, the longest continuously inhabited city in world history. A single strike of a relatively low-yield nuclear weapon could do the job in a single flight of an Israeli fighter-bomber. All the heads of the terrorists’ hydra-headed serpent could be lopped off in that single blow.  That would certainly set the table for Israel’s victory in the fulfillment of the Psalm 83 prophecy.

Well, folks there is so much happening so fast.  So we are going to go to Israel and see for ourselves.

Blessing,

Gramps