A sign that a spiritual awakening is on the horizon
by Charles Gardner
Having pondered the lessons learnt from the Yom Kippur War of 50 years ago in the Oct/Nov issue of this paper, it was an earth-shattering shock to witness it happening all over again.
Though this time it was not ‘just’ an unprovoked invasion, but a terrifying slaughter of defenceless citizens – the worst since the Holocaust.
And yet, instead of sympathising with the victims, pro-Palestinian protestors around the world were baying for more blood while politicians keep parroting their tired old mantra about a ‘two-state solution’, which is simply a recipe for more terror.
Politicians keep parroting their tired old mantra about a ‘two-state solution’, which is simply a recipe for more terror
Such a solution was originally offered by the UN in 1947 but was rejected outright by the Palestinians who only want a single state – and it’s not Jewish! But it’s not all bad news…
The Book of Revelation, focusing on the last days before Messiah’s return, depicts a dragon about to slay a pregnant woman.
“The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born” (Revelation 12:4).
This speaks of Jesus, and of times of great distress for Israel, but also signifies that something spectacular is about to happen in terms of restoration, renewal and redemption. For when Satan attacks with the utmost fury, you know that God is about to rescue his people.
Something spectacular is about to happen – restoration, renewal and redemption
When Pharaoh issued a decree to kill all the Hebrew babies because he feared the Israelites were getting too numerous, it was a sign that Adonai was about to work a mighty miracle through Moses. The infant was duly rescued from among the bulrushes of the Nile, and eventually led his people out of slavery towards the Promised Land.
When Messiah was born, King Herod, feeling threatened, ordered the slaughter of the Bethlehem infants. But Yeshua’s parents had obeyed the angelic instruction to escape to Egypt until the wicked tyrant was no more.
As Simeon prayed when Jesus was presented at the Temple, the infant Christ was “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:32). But due to national rejection, the Jewish people were exiled to the nations.
Now fast-forward some 1,900 years to the time when God’s chosen ones began returning to Zion in fulfilment of ancient prophecies of Jewish restoration. The dragon vented his fury as never before by filling the Nazis with wicked genocidal madness, brutally slaughtering six million Jews including one-and-a-half million children. The Holocaust was designed to sink all hopes of such restoration but, out of the ashes, Israel was re-born as a nation.
Now another tyrant, in the form of terrorist group Hamas and their murderous co-conspirators, engages in the shameless slaughter of innocent children, along with men, women and the elderly. A truly terrifying outrage, yet also a sure sign that God has a glorious plan in mind which the enemy is determined to prevent.
A mighty spiritual awakening is on the horizon. The dry bones have come back to life, and the Spirit of the Lord is blowing afresh among all those who are turning their hearts to him.
The Lord weeps for Israel’s children. As Jeremiah prophesied: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more” (Jeremiah 31:15).
This word was fulfilled at Bethlehem and has been repeated in recent days. But Ezekiel’s dry bones prophecy (Ezekiel 37) speaks of resurrection – not only of a great nation, but of a people returning to close fellowship with their Saviour and Lord.
When all hell breaks loose around you, don’t be discouraged
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn writes of the egg-eating snake in similar terms to the dragon of Revelation (in ‘The Book of Mysteries’, published by FrontLine). It strikes out to pre-empt the birth of new life.
So when all hell breaks loose around you, don’t be discouraged. It’s a sign of the enemy’s determination to abort the purposes of God. But he won’t succeed. Heaven’s best is yet to come.
The Muslim world is collapsing from within. The mosques of Iran are fast emptying, but her people are finding solace in the Jewish Saviour.
I leave you with a challenge from American preacher Karen Wheaton, that perhaps we (like Queen Esther) have come into God’s Kingdom for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).
The mosques of Iran are fast emptying, but her people are finding solace in the Jewish Saviour
“If you as a Church do nothing in this hour and remain comfortable in your palaces,” Karen warned on her regular YouTube broadcast, “our generation will pay the price.”
It’s time to seek the Lord, and to bless his people Israel.
IF HAMAS ARE NOT TERRORISTS, WHO ARE?
The furious row over the BBC’s refusal to label Hamas as terrorists only succeeded in the broadcaster softening its stance two weeks after the 7 October ‘Hamas-sacre’.
BBC newsreaders now refer to them as a group proscribed by the UK government, without owning the tag for themselves.
But whatever their guidelines say, it defies belief that they should take such a stand over people who burn and behead babies.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly first confronted the BBC live on air, berating presenter Sally Nugent for describing them as militants.
“Hamas…is a terrorist organisation. I just want to make sure you recognise that in your reporting; these are not militants, they are terrorists.
“The murders that they have perpetrated in Israel, the kidnaps they have perpetrated and the threats of summary executions that will be televised and broadcast – these are all terrorist attacks and I would urge you to reflect that in your reporting.”
He said Hamas had made the plight of the Palestinian people immeasurably worse by their actions.
MORE TEA, MOHAMMAD?
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby welcomed two controversial Muslim leaders to Lambeth Palace for tea and cake, including a cleric with close ties to the brutal Iranian regime.
Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali spent five years as UK representative of the Iranian supreme leader in his role as head of the Islamic Centre of England (ICE), the London mosque currently the subject of a Charity Commission inquiry due to its role in promoting extremism.
Also on the guest list was Mohammed Kozbar, a leader of the Muslim Council of Britain and chairman of Finsbury Park Mosque, who has praised the founder of the Hamas terror group as a ‘holy warrior’.
Lord Carlile KC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said it was a “serious error of judgement” to engage in discussions with those who have been seen as apologists for extremism.
TV STAR ‘SHAKING WITH FEAR’
presenter Kirsty Wark this October (Credit: Screengrab GBNews)
Television star Rachel Riley says the amount of hatred she has witnessed for British Jews since the October 7 attack on Israel has left her “shaking with fear”.
The 37-year-old Jewish presenter, who has had long-running battles with the Corbynite wing of the Labour Party over antisemitism, told how the events of recent weeks have frequently left her in tears – and she has witnessed a torrent of abuse and misinformation.
By contrast, she had been heartened by the positive support including the 50,000 people who signed an ‘October Declaration’ against antisemitism and on the need to call out Hamas as terrorists.
THE RIGHT THING TO DO
The political interpretation of right and left originates in the Bible, claims Israel Today editor Aviel Schneider.
In an article entitled ‘When points of the compass reveal political direction’, he explains how the compass of Middle East ancients pointed to the east (where the sun rises) rather than the north. Thus, Abraham turned right (ie south) when he separated from Lot, who turned left towards the well-watered plains of the Jordan Valley. In other words, he chose according to his senses and human understanding, whereas Abraham trusted God. “Left-wing ideology is founded on logic, on what the eye can see, while right-wingers trust in God. Thus, left-wing politics is more likely to be humanistic, [and] right-wing biblical.”
Lot chose according to his senses and human understanding, whereas Abraham trusted God
BERTHA’S BRAVERY
A plaque has been unveiled in honour of a woman who helped save hundreds of Jewish children from the Holocaust.
A founder of the Kindertransport, Bertha Bracey helped rescue thousands of Nazi victims and lone children between 1933-1948. The plaque was unveiled by the Birmingham Civic Society and Bournville Village Trust at Bournville Quaker Meeting House.
Born in Birmingham in 1893, Ms Bracey was a Quaker who worked in Austria and Germany as a youth and aid worker, and later arranged for 300 orphans to be flown to England from a concentration camp.
ELON MUSK IS “ASPIRATIONALLY JEWISH”
Tech billionaire Elon Musk says he is ‘aspirationally Jewish’, rebutting accusations he has been soft on antisemitism since buying Twitter (now known as X).
“My entire life story is, in fact, pro-Semitic,” Musk said in a discussion with conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro. “I actually went to Hebrew pre-school in South Africa when I was a kid. Now, I don’t know if I’m genetically Jewish or what – maybe somewhere – but I’m aspirationally Jewish.”
Nine babies were hastily baptised in one of Gaza’s three main churches on 29 October as their parents wanted them to “die as Christians”.
At the time, Israeli bombs targeting Hamas’ terrorist infrastructure (concealed in and under civilian buildings) caused fear in the trapped civilian population as Hamas was preventing their fleeing to the south. Once Israel had secured Gaza City in November, the IDF messaged the population in Arabic and provided safe passage for those who felt able to leave.
FAITHFUL EARLY CHRISTIAN
An amazing find in the heartland of Israel gives insights into the early Church and helps to dispel the myth that the land belongs to the Palestinians.
The newly discovered inscription reads: “Jesus Christ, guard me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you.”
Experts say the text is written in Koine Greek, the lingua franca of the ancient Middle East and Mediterranean region.
It was unearthed in the ruins of the Hyrcania fortress, built between 100-200BC either by Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus or his son Alexander Jannaeus.
In brief
- Israel has signed a $3.5 billion deal with Germany – the largest of its kind in the Jewish state’s history – to provide a crack missile defence system.
- The Ofcom watchdog has fined the Islam Channel £40,000 for airing an antisemitic documentary sharing conspiracy theories originating in neo-Nazi publications.