DANIEL'S PRAYER AND THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

Today a solemn hush descended on the whole land. It was the Day of Atonement, the most dreadful and awesome day of the Jewish calendar. God commanded us to observe this day as it is written in Leviticus 16;

This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you—  because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.  It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.  The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments  and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the members of the community.

 “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites".

Leviticus 16: 29-34 

It was on this day, and only on this day,  that the High Priest was to go into the Holy of Holies and make atonement for the sins of the people of Israel.  We are told (in verse 29) to afflict or deny ourselves on this day. Most interpret this as a command to fast and most Jews refrain from food or water, from wearing leather shoes, using lotions or creams, washing or bathing, or engaging in conjugal relations.  They also gather in synagogues for the five services that take place during the day.  On this day too a strange hush falls over the land as it is forbidden to drive a car. The roads are empty except, in recent years, for the many children who take advantage of the empty roads to ride their bicycles, skateboards, scooters etc.  Others enjoy a leisurely walk down the roads without the need to avoid cars. 

This morning I took a long walk around my neighborhood, praying for the city and for Israel as I went. The silence was most eerie but beautiful too. I sat on a bench overlooking Ein Kerem (the birthplace of John the Baptist) and the outskirts of Jerusalem. The only sound was the gentle sussuration of the breeze in the pines overhead and the occasional bark of a dog or cry of a baby. I felt close to Yeshua as I walked. In his days there were no cars and so the countryside must also have been just as silent as he walked the length and breadth of the Land. I laughed too at my filthy feet and understood why Yeshua had to wash his disciples' feet (apart from the fact he did it to teach them the meaning of service)(John 13:2-17). Roads were not paved in Jesus' day and the loess dust, finer than flour, which is blown in from the Sahara Desert, must have made their feet filthy too. 

Looking towards Jerusalem on Yom Kippur - notice the lack of cars on the highway!- it is usually nose-to-tail traffic

Our empty streets - downtown Mevasseret  on Yom Kippur

My feet!

This year I have been studying the Book of Daniel and I feel it is most timely, particularly Daniel 9.  In the first year of King Darius the Mede, the 67th of the Israelite's Babylonian Exile, Daniel after studying the prophecies of Jeremiah realized that the time of the restoration of Jerusalem was drawing near. Today many are sensing the imminence of the return of Yeshua and the final restoration of the world. We would do well to emulate Daniel. He did not shout for joy and race out onto the streets yelling 'the end is near'. Instead, he studied the word of God diligently and turned to God in prayer and fasting, with mourning:

So I set my face to my Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and supplication, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

                                         Daniel 9:3 (my translation) 

This phrase ' so I set my face to my Lord God...' is in Hebrew  וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה אֶת־פָּנַ֗י אֶל־אֲדֹנָי֙ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים ('v'etnah panei el Adonai haElohim). It was an interesting confirmation to me when I attended a national gathering of local believers and found it was entitled ' פָּנַ֗י אֶל־אֲדֹנָי֙' (my face to my Lord) taken from this very verse. Many of the newly written songs that were sung at this gathering were also taken from Daniel 9. It would appear that I am not the only one with the sense that God is calling us, as believers, at this time to take on this attitude of prayer, supplication, fasting and mourning, not just for ourselves, or the people of Israel, but for the people of all the world. The end times are a time of joy and anticipation for those of us who believe, but they will also be terrible times of much suffering and loss, a time of many wars, earthquakes, floods, and diseases, even as we are beginning to see today. The prophet Amos said this:

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!

For what good is the day of the Lord to you?

It will be darkness, and not light.

Amos 5: 18 

We are being called to intercede for the lost, to fulfill our God-given role as priests. The job of a priest is to stand before God and intercede for the people. We who are in Yeshua have constant access to the Holy of Holies, not just on this one day of the year, but every moment of every day, and we can plead for the forgiveness of our people.  Daniel prayed for his people using these words:

“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.

“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.

15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.

 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.  Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.  Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

Daniel 9: 4-19 

We can echo Daniel's prayer for the forgiveness of our sins, the sins of the people of Israel and for the sins of the people of all the world. We have all sinned, rebelled against God's ways, failed to heed the words of the prophets, and we all need atonement.  Atonement has already been granted in Yeshua through his shed blood on the cross, but many have not yet entered into that free gift. We need to pray for all those who have not yet known Yeshua and received him as Savior and Lord. Time is running out. The end days are drawing near. We need to call on the mercy of our Lord God, for His name's sake. 

Life is uncertain. We never know when our days will be numbered. On Sunday this week three young, strong men of Israel, got up and went off to work as usual, never dreaming it would be their last day on this earth. At around 7AM one of the Arab workers arriving from a nearby village opened fire on the security guards at the gates of the settlement of Har Adar, some 3 km from my home.  The three guards were killed and a fourth seriously injured before other security personnel killed the terrorist.

The three Israeli security personnel killed in the terror attack.
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5021658,00.html

Terror is no respecter of persons. One of those killed was an Arab from the village of Abu Ghosh, a village known for its peaceful coexistence with Jews in the area. This act of terror has upset the trust between Jew and Arab in this area, which has seen few terror attacks even during the worst of the Intifada. Many Arabs from the neighboring villages come every day to work in the Jewish towns and settlements. Friendships arise and there is a high degree of respect between the peoples.  The man who carried out this attack was 47 years old, had a wife and 4 children and had worked in Har Adar for many years. He was liked, trusted and respected by his employers. What causes a man like that to  pull out a gun and open fire? It wasn't a sudden impulse. He left a letter to his wife clearly stating his intentions to carry out the attack.  He had some personal issues. He had been so violent to his wife that she had left him and gone to Jordan, leaving him to care for his 4 children. This may have precipitated his actions, but why express his despair and rage in such an act of violence directed against Jews. I believe it is a result of the deep indoctrination of prejudice, hatred and lies which is characteristic of the education system, and in the preaching in the mosques and religious madrasas in the Palestinian areas. Children grow up hating Jews, having been feed lies and libels about them, and with the belief that the greatest thing they can do is to kill Jews and thus gain entry to Paradise.  The only solution is Yeshua. Only in Him can these lies be exposed and defeated, and only in Him can the centuries, even millennia, of hatred be forgiven and only in HIm can true reconciliation and peace occur. If we wish to pray for the peace of Jerusalem we need to pray for the Muslim peoples and the Jewish people alike that they may find the true Messiah, Yeshua, the Saviour of the world.  

ROSH HASHANA 5778

Rosh Hashanah at Gan Hashlosha (Sakneh) in the Galilee
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5019471,00.html

Jews everywhere have just celebrated the Rosh Hashanah holiday. While the more religious celebrate with the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn) and special services in the synagogues, the secular Israelis flock to the beaches, forests and parks.  The photo above shows a popular place in the lower Galilee called Gan Hashlosha (also known as Sakhne). Shlosha means 'three' because there are three pools fed by perennial hot springs, which make for pleasant year-round swimming.  This lovely spot is surrounded by grassy lawns and trees, perfect for the quintessential Israeli pastime - 'al ha'esh' (literally 'on the fire', meaning the barbecue). 

Rosh Hashanah means 'head of the year', or the new year, and today this holiday marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year, the beginning of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.  Now, Tishrei is the 7th month of the Hebrew calendar, so why do we celebrate the New Year in the 7th month and not at the beginning of the first month, the month of Nissan in the spring, as the Torah prescribes (Exodus 12:1-2)? The reason is lost in the mists of history but we do know that sometime between the end of the writing of the Tenach (Old Testament) and the writing of the Mishna in the first-second century CE (AD), the Nissan new year was eclipsed by the Tishre new year.  The Mishna (Rosh Hashanah 1:1) states “The first of Tishrei is the beginning of the year [rosh hashanah] for years, sabbatical cycles, and the jubilee." One of the attributes of the Antichrist when he comes will be that he will seek to change the set times determined by God (Daniel 7:25). Although the Antichrist has not yet come, we already see his rebellious spirit active in human history intending to confuse God's order. This change in the meaning of this feast distracts us from its real importance. 

According to the Holy Scriptures,  the first of Tishrei is not the New Year but rather the Feast of Trumpets:
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.  You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.’”

Leviticus 23:23 -25

For a fuller exposition on the Feast of Trumpets go to this excellent study by my good friend, Hannah Nesher,  http://mailchi.mp/shaw/the-sound-of-the-shofar-yom-zikaron-truah?e=bdc00e3926

This day is described as 'a memorial of blowing of trumpets'.  A memorial for what? The Bible does not say but I believe it is, among other things,  intended as a wake-up call. Traditionally the trumpet is sounded each day during the preceding month of Alul, calling us to introspection and self-examination, in preparation for the Days of Awe, which begin with the Feast of Trumpets, and lead up to the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. The shofar is sounded to remind us of the LORD and all that He has done in the past, is doing now and will do in the future. 

I suspect that at this time God is calling all his followers to 'wake up'. We are living in perilous times and we are poised on the cusp of a new phase of history. Are we aware of what God is doing and is about to do? Are we ready? 

This past week more terrible disasters have hit the Americas, Hurricane Irma has almost totally destroyed the Virgin Islands, Bermuda and Puerto Rico, and much destruction in Florida, this on the heels of Hurricane Harvey which devastated much of the state of Texas. A strong earthquake has wreaked havoc in Mexico.  Meanwhile, the US President Trump and North Korean President Kim  Jong-Un are trading insults like kindergarten students in the playground. Their words, however, will not lead merely to a few pushes and tears but could lead us all into a catastrophic world war. At the same time, Iran is also ramping up the rhetoric as Trump threatens to cancel the agreements made by the USA and Iran last year.  Russia is spreading and consolidating its influence in the Middle East, and is strengthening its relationship with China. Are we awake yet? 

How Hurricane Irma turned the green paradise of the Virgin Islands to a wasteland, stripped of nearly every green plant.
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/five-portraits-hurricane-irmas-record-breaking-fury  

This week I have been studying the Book of Daniel.  Daniel wrote this, 

Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.  

Daniel 9:13

When disaster strikes what is our response? Do we repent and turn back to God and his ways? Have we got down on our knees, or prostrated ourselves before him, in repentance and intercession, pleading for his mercy? 

In the first year of Darius, which was the 67th year of the Exile in Babylon, Daniel, from his study of the Book of Jeremiah, realized that the time of the Exile was drawing to a close. What was his response?  He turned to the LORD, and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. 

In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Daniel 9:1-3 

Daniel's prayer is recorded in verses 4-19. We would do well to echo his words: 

"...Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.  Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.  Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name....”   

Daniel 9:17-19

Even though the end of the Exile was prophesied, and Daniel believed it was imminent, he did not take it for granted but prayed fervently for God's mercy and the restoration of Israel, not because they were worthy but for the sake of God's name. He cried' Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act!  How do we pray today? Do our hearts cry out with pleading for our people, Israel and all the peoples of the world, for forgiveness and restoration? Are our hearts in tune with God and His Holy Spirit? 

In the last few verses of Daniel 9 the angel Gabriel answers his prayer by giving him a vision, which he then interprets, saying

Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

Daniel 9: 24

The vision summarises what was to come after the Exile ended, and prophesies the end of sin, the atonement for wickedness, everlasting righteousness, the completion of vision and prophecy and the anointing of the Most Holy Place, in other words, the completion of all redemption.

This completion would take place in two stages as outlined in the following verses:

Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing.The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Daniel 9: 25-27. 

The first stage consists of seven sevens (of years) and sixty-two sevens of years, or in other words, sixty-nine sevens of years, from the time of the command to rebuild Jerusalem (after the Exile) until the Messiah, the Annointed One, comes and is killed, and the city and sanctuary are again destroyed. This has already been fulfilled in the coming of Yeshua (Jesus) and his death and resurrection, and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD70. 
(For a thorough study of the 69 weeks see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiAJ71MhrDY ). After the 69 weeks there is a pause of unspecified length until the 70th week. We are currently living in this period "war will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed'.  Then will come the last 'seven' years during which time the antichrist will make a covenant with many, sacrifice and offerings will cease, and he will set up an abomination in the temple, until his the end will be decreed. The prophecy says this final seven year period will come like a flood. Note, it is not a literal flood but a metaphorical flood, 'like a flood', in other words when it comes, it will come quickly, like a flash flood.  (for a study of the interval and the 70th week see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lshj22lSDZo&t=1079s). 

No one knows exactly when this final seven-year period will begin (Matthew 24:36) , but the seemingly increasing pace of natural disasters and wars that we are currently experiencing may well indicate its imminent arrival.  So what should be our response?  We should not fall into hysterical alarmist declarations but should follow Daniel's example - we should study God's word, ask him for understanding and revelation by His Spirit and should bow down in repentance, crying out for his mercy. 

Jesus tells us that at the time of his coming people would be eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage, just as they did in the times of Noah, unaware of the disaster about to befall them.  But he warns us not to be like that, but to keep watch (Matthew 24:42), and to be sober, faithful and wise. 

This year we, myself included, have celebrated Rosh Hashanah largely heedless of the perils and suffering around us, eating, drinking and enjoying ourselves. We are a nation (world?) in denial. I wonder how many of the people of Israel, religious or secular, have taken even a moment to reflect honestly, to repent before God or cry out for his mercy. I wonder how many of the displaced and suffering residents of the lands devastated by hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and war stop to repent of their sins and call upon the Lord for mercy.  Please pray that we will all do so, beginning with all those who are called by HIS name, the Body of Christ and Israel.   

We are living in the period of much suffering and tragedy and it can strike any of us, at any time. I stumbled upon this video this week and I want to share it with you. It moved me to tears. I have known this hymn since childhood but had no idea of what lay behind it. It is also a good reminder that whatever happens, flood, famine, war, death, loss or illness, it is 'well with my soul'.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lshj22lSDZo&t=1079s

DO NOT BE TROUBLED

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  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: 3-8

This week all eyes have been on Florida and the Caribbean Islands which were hit by the most powerful Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, Hurricane Irma. Around 6.5 million residents were under evacuation orders in Florida and the roads out of the State were clogged with fleeing people.  The Hurricane has now passed leaving behind a trail of lost and disrupted lives, and destroyed property. Close on the tail of Irma another hurricane, Hurricane Jose, was gathering strength in the Atlantic. Though not as powerful as Irma, it was feared that Jose could be just as destructive if it brushed the Caribbean Islands or Florida, because of the damage already inflicted in those areas. It now appears to be unlikely it will make landfall. At the same time as Irma struck Florida, wildfires raged out of control in California, and a huge earthquake, measuring 8.2, struck Mexico and causing many deaths and the destruction of many buildings.  In the Indian subcontinent monsoon rains continue to flood large areas leaving around 6 million people without shelter, clean water, food or medical supplies. This is a much greater humanitarian disaster than that in Florida and the Carribean because these poor countries do not have the resources to rescue the trapped, feed and bring water and medical care to those who have been made homeless, much less to rebuild those homes destroyed.  In addition, around half a million Rohingya people have reached Pakistan fleeing the wholesale destruction of their villages as the Myanmar government carries out reprisals that are amounting to genocide or ethnic cleansing. Meanwhile, back in the USA, Texans are busy cleaning up and trying to restore their normal lives following the unprecedented floods caused by Hurricane Harvey.  As if all this were not enough, the rogue nation, North Korea, continues to escalate tensions with the USA and neighboring countries, in a scenario that could easily lead to world war. In Iraq and Syria  ISIS continues to be driven out as Iran and its proxies, supported by Russia, continue to increase power and threaten the stability of the Middle East. 

In the face of so many natural and man-made disasters, it is perhaps natural to try and understand their spiritual significance. God does judge nations by means of natural disasters and wars, and the Bible is full of examples where this clearly occurred in the past and there are also many prophecies of such judgments in the future.  For more on this see the excerpt below *. There are some who suggest that the recent natural disasters afflicting the United States are God's judgment resulting from Trump's failure to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, as he promised to do (1). I don't know if this is so, but it never hurts to consider some national 'soul searching' when disasters strike. 

I cannot deny that it does seem somehow significant that so many things are shaking the world right now, and I have no doubt in my heart that we are rapidly approaching the end times and the disasters and wars predicted to precede the return of the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), and the final redemption. I do however hesitate to get over-excited about theories, prophecies and speculations relating to these events. Yeshua himself warned us not to be easily shaken by such reports.  It is especially in times of chaos and trouble that we who are of the Kingdom of God need to stand strong and stable and sensible. We are called to be lights in the darkness. We cannot help the people around us if we fall into hysteria and panic.  Rash predictions of the imminent return of Yeshua prompted by astronomical events and natural disasters have brought much scorn and ridicule upon the body of Christ in the past.  We need to be careful to measure these things against Scripture, and pray diligently for the Lord to give us true understanding.  So what should our response to the events of our time be?

First, we need to draw close to God. We need to shine as beacons of faith and hope for all the people around. God is in control and nothing on this Earth happens outside of his Will. Even all the suffering and loss is for a purpose and ultimately will work out for good. We must stand firm in this belief. 

We also need to get our priorities right. How tightly do we hold on to our possessions? Are we ready to let them go? How tightly do we hold on to our lives? Are we ready to sacrifice our very lives for others?  Perhaps these events are a call for us to re-evaluate the depth and reality of our faith. Jesus warned us that at the end we will face severe persecution and many will be martyred:

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24: 9-14

Jesus also warned us that love will grow cold. It is therefore time to stir up love for one another. As troubles grow we will need to help and support one another more and more. How ready are we to do that? 

We need to beware of deception. We need to know the Word of God to counter to false prophets and teachers that are already in our midst. We need to have acute spiritual discernment to distinguish between true miracles and prophecies and those false ones worked by Satan. 

 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

Matthew 24: 23-24

Finally we need to be good and wise servants, going about our God-given tasks as He requires, faithful and steady:

Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

Matthew 24: 45-46 

Whatever our circumstances there are times of difficulty and trial and always at such times we can draw on the comfort of thanksgiving, praise and prayer. Here is a beautiful song, which is also a prayer for difficult times, sung by Sarit Hadad, one of Israel's most popular singers. The title means, "Hear O Israel, when the heart cries".
https://youtu.be/BVGVuyAnLTI

Some News from Israel
While all eyes have been on world events lately, Israel has been deceptively tranquil. The children enjoyed their summer vacation and are now back at school. The weather has been unusually hot with max. daytime temps never dropping below 30 Celsius for the last two months but we have not had any very unpleasant heatwaves, as yet anyway. This incessant heat following a drier than normal winter in the north has led to a serious drought situation. Over the last four years, rainfall has been far below average and the Water Authority says that ' this year appears to be one of the worst and most difficult years for the country's water resources' (2). The water desalination plants ensure the availability of drinking water but agriculture and natural ecosystems are being seriously affected. The Sea of Galilee is reaching new lows increasing the risk of upwelling of saline springs, and the Dead Sea is shrinking at an alarming rate, also increasing the occurrence of sinkholes which threaten settlements, hotels and roads in the area.  

This sign used to be on the water's edge of the Dead Sea. Now the water is barely visible as the light blue line under the hills on the other side. This photo was taken in 2013 and the sea has receded even further since then. 

Please pray for a good rainy season this winter in Israel to replenish our lakes, aquifers and reservoirs, and also to water the forests and natural areas. The rains can start any time from September to December so now is the time to pray. Traditionally Jews begin to recite the prayer for rain on Shemini Atzeret, the last day of the Succot holiday, and this year it begins at sundown on the 11th of October. Observant Jews continue to pray for rain three times a day, every day, until the first day of Passover when they begin the prayers for dew, which sustains life through the rainless summer months.  Without the rain and dew life in Israel would be impossible. Please pray for good rains in Israel this winter. 

Israel lies at the conjunction of three continents, Europe, Asia and Africa. This means that we have a varied and fascinating flora and fauna. One of my favorite Israeli animals is the tiny, endangered sand cat. I have never had the privilege of seeing these secretive, nocturnal cats in the wild but did see one once in the wild animal hospital in Tel Aviv. 'Cute' is an understatement. Recently the staff of the Ramat Gan Safari Park got a wonderful surprise when a female sand cat unexpectedly gave birth to three healthy kittens. You can see photos and a video of the kittens on the link below (3). 

One of the main threats to our wildlife here is the spreading human population which destroys much wildlife habitat. Israel's population is now around 8.6 million, a 10 fold increase since the founding of the State in 1948. Immigration continues and Israel has one of the highest birth rates of any developed country, and now stands at 3.1 births for every Jewish woman (4). Estimates predict that Israel will double its current population by 2030. Already the country is bursting at its seams and, in spite of frantic building projects, housing is in short supply, pushing prices to impossible levels. Urban sprawl is eating up agricultural land and wildlife habitat. This is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, 

“For your waste and desolate places,

And the land of your destruction,

Will even now be too small for the inhabitants;

And those who swallowed you up will be far away.

20 

The children you will have,

After you have lost the others,

Will say again in your ears,

‘The place is too small for me;

Give me a place where I may dwell."

Isaiah 49: 19-20

Israel's 'national bird' - the crane!!!
https://cdnph.upi.com/svc/sv/upi/1341472734482/2016/1/c5366bd64c2afdafd351f494b00082a7/White-House-Israel-settlement-expansion-serious-threat-to-2-state-solution.jpg

Please keep praying for our security situation here. The greatest threat to Israel, and indeed world peace, is the growing 'axis of evil' - Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Korea. It is not always easy to know how to pray but we are called to intercede for the nations, and especially for Israel, and we can be confident that the Spirit interprets the cries of our hearts even if our head does not know the words to say:

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us[b] with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26

References:
1. http://kehilanews.com/2017/09/11/trump-hurricanes-and-israel/

2.   https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5012004,00.html

3. Sand cat births   https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/nature/Three-newborn-sand-kittens-melt-our-hearts

4. Israeli birthrate  https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/94673/bucking-global-trend-israels-jewish-birthrate-rises-fulfillment-biblical-prophecy/#/

*An excerpt from my book (in progress) "The Roots of the Ancient Enmity: A Biblical perspective on the Israeli Palestinian conflict"

THE JUDGEMENT OF THE NATIONS

The Psalmist declared, “The LORD shall judge the peoples” (Psalm 8:8). Later in the same Psalm he outlines the principle upon which all nations are judged, saying,

Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;

Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.

He made a pit and dug it out,

And has fallen into the ditch which he made.

His trouble shall return upon his own head.

And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.

(Psalm 8:14-16)

Nations, like individuals will reap what they sow (Galatians 6:6).

The judgment of the nations is an ongoing process, which works itself out through human history. Thus the study of human history can be seen as the study of God’s judgment on the nations. Indeed a large part of the Holy Scriptures is just that, an exposition of the way that God has dealt with and judged the nations throughout history.

The basic criterion of God’s judgment on the nations is set down in Scripture as early as Genesis 12:3. When God called out Abram and made of him a nation, Israel, He said to Abram, “And I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you”.In other words, those nations who accept God’s redemption plan and the purpose and centrality of the nation of Israel in that plan will be blessed, but those who fight against Israel and God’s redemption, will be cursed. This is once more the expression of what I have called the Cain Principle.

God declared his love for Israel through the prophet Zechariah, saying, "...For he who touches you touches the apple of my eye" (Zechariah 2:8).

We can see this principle manifesting in history in the judgment of God against Assyria and Babylon. Israel had fallen into sin against God and acted wickedly. Consequently God brought down upon Israel his judgment. He caused the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires to rise up and conquer Israel, driving them out into Diaspora, just as he promised he would do should Israel err (Leviticus 26:33). Even though God used those nations to execute his judgment upon Israel, he would judge them for doing so.

The judgment of Assyria

Although God chose Assyrian to carry out his sentence against Israel, the Assyrians would themselves come under judgment for having done so. The passage quoted above begins “Woe to Assyria…” (Isaiah 10:5) and goes on to say this,

Therefore it shall come to pass, when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem , that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks …Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?.. therefore the LORD, the Lord of hosts, will send leanness among his fat ones…So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; it will burn and devour His thorns and briers in one day…”

(Isaiah 10:12-19)

And again,

Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass. And as I have purposed. So it shall stand; That I will break the Assyrian in My land. And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them. And his burden removed from their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth, And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations (Isaiah 14:24-26).  

Note that the last sentence quoted here says that this is the hand (of judgment) that is stretched out over all nations. The principle stands. If a nation stretches forth its hand to hurt Israel, the Lord may allow it if he deems it fit for the chastisement of His people, but nevertheless that nation will be judged for desiring their harm.

Later on in the book of Isaiah we see the intensity of God’s anger against Assyria and all those who would harm Israel:

Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar,

Burning with his anger, And his burden is heavy; His lips are full of indignation, And his tongue is like a devouring fire. His breath is like an overflowing stream. Which reaches up to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of futility…For through the voice of the LORD Assyria will be beaten down…

(Isaiah 30:27-33)

And so it came to pass that, just 110 years after conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians, the Assyrian Empire itself collapsed. In 612 BC the capital city Nineveh was besieged for three months by the allied forces of the Medes, Scythians, Babylonians and Susanians.¹⁵ On one day (see Isaiah 10:19 above) in the month of Abu, the city was overthrown and sacked and the King of Assyria, Sin-shar-iskun, was killed.¹⁶ After the fall of Ninevah the former Assyrian Empire came under the rule of the Babylonian Empire.

The judgment of  Babylon

Babylon not only conquered the Assyrians but also the southern kingdom of Judah. Therefore the LORD also promised retribution against Babylon saying,

For I will rise up against them,…And cut off from Babylon the name and remnant and offspring and posterity,…I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, And marshes of muddy water; I will sweep it with the broom of destruction (Isaiah 14:22-23).

And God declared, through the prophet Jeremiah,

And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity … and I will make it a perpetual desolation.

(Jeremiah 25:11-12)

Exactly 70 years later¹⁷ God’s words came to pass and Babylon was conquered by Cyrus II and came under the hegemony of the Persian Empire.¹⁸

The judgment of the nations

As it was for Assyria and Babylon, so it has been for every nation that has lifted up its hand to harm Israel. A more detailed exposition of this can be found in the next chapter.

Not only is this principle true in the past but it still stands today and will stand in the future. The Bible is crystal clear about a coming day when all nations will face judgment. It is written in Joel 3: 1-3, 12-21,

For behold, in those days and at that time,

When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,

I will also gather all nations,

And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;

And I will enter into judgment with them there

On account of My people,

My heritage Israel,

Whom they have scattered among the nations;

They have also divided up My land…

There are four important things to note about this passage.

1.     First it begins with the words, ‘in those days and at that time’, which expression is normally understood by Bible interpreters to refer to the end time period, so it is a prophecy referring to some future time, the time of the final redemption. 

2.    Secondly, this judgment will occur at the time when the captives of Israel and Judah are regathered into their land. We at this time are privileged to be living in that time period. The modern State of Israel was formally declared in 1948 and even as I write the captives of Israel are being regathered from every corner of the earth. 

3.    The judgment of the nations will take place in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There are various interpretations regarding this Valley. Is it a specific geographical location or does it refer to a principal of judgment or both? Whatever the case, as we saw above, the name Jehoshaphat literally means ‘the LORD has judged’ or the ‘LORD judges’. This name may also be intended as a reference to the judgment of Israel’s enemies in the days of Jehoshaphat. As it was at that time so it will be in the last days when God judges Israel’s enemies.

4.    This judgment will take place ‘on account of my people, my heritage, Israel’. In other words, the standard by which the nations will be judged is that relating to their treatment of the nation and people of Israel.

There are many prophetic passages in Scripture that refer to this end time judgment of the enemies of Israel. Here are just a few,

 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming,…

For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem…

Then the LORD will go forth

And fight against those nations…

And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem;

Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand of their feet…

It shall come to pass in that day

That a great panic from the LORD will be among them…

(Zechariah 14, 1-2,3,12,13)

Now also many nations have gathered against you,

Who say, ‘Let her be defiled,

And let our eye look upon Zion.

But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD,

Nor do they understand his counsel;

For he will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor”

( Micah 4: 11-12)

  

Not only will the nations be judged when they rise up against Israel but at this time Israel will not only be vindicated but she will also repent and be restored spiritually. It is written,

And there shall no longer be a pricking brier or a painful thorn for the house of Israel from among all who are around them, who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

Thus says the Lord GOD: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to my servant Jacob.’

And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God.

(Ezekiel 28:24-26)

Similarly, The LORD spoke through the prophet Zechariah saying,

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem,

And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it...."

In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem...

It will be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for him as one who mourns for his only son, and grieve for him as one grieves for a first-born....

In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness...."

(Zechariah 12:1 - 13:1)

After the judgment comes repentance and redemption. In the end the people of Israel will return to the full knowledge of their God, and will recognize him ‘whom they have pierced’, namely Yeshua, the promised Messiah. The dry bones of Ezekiel’s vision will not only be covered in flesh (physical life) but shall also be quickened spiritually by the breath (spirit) of God (Ezekiel 37). The remnant of the Gentile nations, those who have not raised themselves up against God, will also know redemption and restoration,

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles…

(Zechariah 14:16)