CHAPTER FIVE
NEWS 146
Caught in the Cross-Fire
The Australian March 9, 01
The pall of smoke is not as
great as when the first atomic bomb made its dynamic debut in 1945, even if pre-empted
some 2500 years by Joel, foretelling the pillar of smoke, as we have noted
often enough before (Joel 2:28-30), for the era to culminate in the grand
Jewish restoration to the Lord, so often predicted in the prophets (as in Joel
3:20-21, Psalm 72, Micah 7). Even in the intense brevity of his coverage there,
Joel includes this feature, and what is more physically symbolic of our Age,
than that! not very much.
It is not however that sort
of proclamation of the time-table of events in which we are now looking. That
was epochal - it had to come as a part of a scenario for the consummation, and
its battles and belligerences, its refinements and its pollutions (of the
spirit of many, for the former, of the atmospheric in the latter, as in
Revelation).
What we now see is that
scenario in which it was placed as a salient part, worthy of inclusion in the
brief coverage of the prophet.
Now, however, with that
impact past, what we have is still the same CONTRAST between the pall of smoke,
violence, dissension, tension, contrary messages, belligerencies, harsh words
and implacable hostility, in the Middle East, and the peace of Christ which
could even still the sea, as well as the hearts, and was made available BY HIS
BEARING the hostilities to the uttermost, of those who, being astray in the
guidance systems of the nation, ensured there would and indeed COULD be no
peace for it (cf. Isaiah 49:7, 53:1-6).
Nor has there been! from
that day till this. War, destruction, sobriety, sadness... as in Deuteronomy
32, as we have seen.
Now that the nation is back
in place, as forecast (SMR Appendix A and
check Index for the last few volumes which have rather specialised in this),
and now that it has been victorious as shown in SMR Ch. 9, and in the massive victories there
detailed, yet there is still the involvement in the relentless
international tension machinations, the same as ever, while the plot develops
towards its conclusion in the OTHER phases biblically predicted before Christ
comes to earth to JUDGE!
Jerusalem is NOT to be golden in this
preliminary phase before Christ returns. As Zechariah makes so clear in Chs.
12, and 14, it is to be a scene of tension, intervention, international scurries
and flurries, like snow flurries, outbreaks and attempted break-ins to the
land, contention about Jerusalem, and attainment of NO victory in the process,
for all the international warriors of sword and pen, except that of terrors and
alarms.
THAT is NOW.
The purpose of this news
item is simple:
- to show that just as LITTLE THINGS
(Little Things
- Ch. 4)
have been divinely used repeatedly in the deliverance of Israel so that the Jewish
people did not become a mere verbal relic, or national relict, with the
aid of the UN or the neighbours, and this both diplomatically and
governmentally, and militarily on occasion -
- so now the
resultant is a big thing: and what is this ?
It is
international
displeasure and discontent as the people of Israel STAY, in the midst of the
furores and flurries, not least now, the unspeakable effort of Palestinians to
capture some part of the tiny residue of the PALESTINE accorded by nations
after World War I to Israel to be, from the slender margin of it which is all
the Jews have left. This they do with JORDAN as ONE WHOLE having been taken out
of Palestine for the substantially Moslem country which now occupies it, and
with repeated endeavours to subdue the Jews entirely, on the part of the Arabs,
while hostilities from Hamas, freely acknowledged, attest the reliability of
the consensus sought: zero or negative as far as their statements appear to
concede!
With these reflections
complete, read of the outline scenario in Zechariah 12, where those who
bother themselves with Jerusalem (fiddlers, invaders, intruders,
malcontents, whatever), will find it a BURDENSOME STONE.
Now Sharon is IN. He is the leader of the new
Jewish Government. By a little thing, the failure
1) of the
enormously pressurised NEARLY-PEACE proposals of President Clinton, something
ALMOST achieved, but not quite, you see, not quite, and
2) of the
simple Labour Likud government possibility, again by a (seemingly) little thing
- Barak could not find it suitable in complexion, in the inter-relationship
with Likud:
we have a new
government situation.
The attitude to Jerusalem
seems exceptionally clear now: The Australian reports that Ariel
Sharon, new Prime Minister, departed from his text, which read "the
united eternal capital of Israel under our sovereignty", to actually state
instead, the Jewish people’s "eternal" capital,
something often enough declared before, but with more emphasis not so recently!
- We have before traced the
significance of Jerusalem,
- the site of the Jewish Temple
- which by divine ordinance set
forth in architectural and sacrificial terms,
- as expounded not a little in
Hebrews in the Bible;
- the ONLY and SINGLE site to be
selected from the days of Moses;
- implemented in David and Solomon
and covered in detailed prophecy;
- the site of the crucifixion of the
Lord, in fulfilment of the same,
- giving thereby to the holy
patterns their sublime substance in the crucified King, by
determinate and predestinated supply from heaven for man (cf. Act 2:23-24, Colossians 1, Psalms 2,22,16,40 and Joyful
Jottings).
The other point
is also very simple: the LORD is planning to return there (Zechariah 14, Micah
7, Isaiah 59), and to deliver the (so far) distanced nation, but by then a
returning one, which in the interim He defends by pure grace.
So the plans to the
contrary do not happen. This new Government of Israel seems less likely to
instal an internal assault on them (not of course INTENTIONALLY, but
effectually), than that which well might have been!
The Australian today, March 9,
2001
advises of the composition of the government. It has a large majority of 73 out
of 120 in the Knesset, as currently listed, and in Cabinet there are 8 Likud, 8
Labour, 2 National Union (described in the article as ultra-nationalist, 1
Yisrael b'Aliyah (described similarly) and 5 Shas. The Orthodox, Labour, Likud
and other smaller groups are thus involved. It is not a sensitively balanced
seeming Cabinet, in this, that Likud and those of distinct concepts about Israel's integrity, whether religiously or
otherwise, are apparently there in some dominance numerically.
An honest and
genuine partner, we shall prove, declared Sharon, IF "our
Palestinian neighbours choose the path of peace, reconciliation and good
neighbourliness" - that is how the new Government will act.
"We shall demand," he asserted, as is understandable since his
election is evidently to STOP the VIOLENCE, without dismembering Israel, or surrendering it
to arms specialists, backed by Iranian or Libyan money and oil, "that the
Palestinians abandon the path of violence, terrorism and incitement."
This was systematically
sneered at, it seems, by Hamas, who tell of prepared bomb persons waiting to
renew incitement, violence and terrorism, and that of course, likely to be on
civilians, which is one way of showing just what your morals are, and with what
wisdom anyone might cohere with you! It is not merely that it is unwise to
collaborate with people who play the knife; it is the PRINCIPLE of knives as
talk alternatives, ON CIVILIANS for the sake of implementing a combined religious
and civic desire, of arms not in battle and its results, but in market places.
Taunting and seeking to
abort law and order requires some reaction; but initiating violence on the
domestic area of Israel has its own moral measure.
Hamas is reported to
want what they call Israeli-occupied territories, West Bank and Gaza.
Who however has OCCUPIED most of Palestine, once internationally accorded to Israel
as a homeland ? Arabs and Moslems.
What then is the call ? For
EVEN MORE disintegration of the little residue currently serving as
Jewish homeland, and even more sequestration of Palestine that was, and was accorded the
Jews, to the same group ? by violence on children and the like, in INCITEMENT,
not defence, in domestic violence, not military conflict! It hardly seems a
recipe for reciprocity, far less reconciliation. What about looking back a
little and considering not the hype and propaganda of the present, but the
historic realities of the past century; and for that matter, of the past
millenia, and while with it, of the Bible and the promises of God.
It is somewhat fashionable
to ignore the promises and provisions of God, as detailed of this matter in the
last few volumes, for example from Divine
Agenda and Galloping Events. It is
not however a fashion that God shows any sign, index or indication of viewing
with placidity. Indeed, that is what He SAID in Zechariah 12 and 14, around 2500
years ago; that is what He forecast from the days of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:43),
as we have earlier shown in detail.
When you dealing with the
Eternal, you have to realise that time is one of His inventions, time as we
know it, when you have to WAIT for tomorrow. All the tomorrows of the earth are
already known to Him (Ephesians 1:11, Acts 15:18, Isaiah 46:10,
44:25ff.). Indeed, He has supervised their construction.
It is only fair to note
something else. It is this: that the failure of Israel to hallow the name of "that
prophet" whom Moses foretold in Deuteronomy 18, whose word was to be followed
categorically, or the offence of neglect of it required of those guilty of
this, by the Lord, of Him, the Messiah, dated by Daniel for the time in fact of Christ (in 9:24-27),
whose gospel has gone out to all the world AS Isaiah indicated it would, and as
WHAT Isaiah indicated it would be, as we have repeatedly seen (cf. Isaiah
4,7,9,11,12, 28,32,40,42,49,50-55,66): this too has had results.
- These results are not only of
course the ruinous treatment
- in the Middle Ages by so many
European nations, including Russia, and
- that of Hitler (cf. Leviticus 26's
exposé on the subject of the future, from Moses' day);
but
- they are those of today, and
- unless there be the prescribed
repentance, which is also categorically foretold, within the nation of
Israel towards that same prophet, that same Messiah, that same Saviour as
in Isaiah 52-53, that same sinless sacrifice, that same "God the
sent" as in Isaiah 48:16 and Psalm 45, 2, 110:
- they are those also of tomorrow!
Tomorrow and tomorrow and
tomorrow - it continues, and suffering so grievously proceeds! THIS has been
the message since Moses as the briefest inspection of Deuteronomy 32-33 will
reveal to the keen eye.
How many
tomorrows before repentance reaches Israel like a freshening breeze of cool
strength, in the height of Summer: unexpected, unqualified, and blessed!
How many tomorrows of mourning
before the Lord come! How many tomorrows of strife and conflict before this
season of repentance to the Messiah, in Israel, so near to the return of Christ
(as noted in Zechariah 14) actually and finally occurs ? How many more lives to
be mangled, how many more ferocities of unreason to afflict the nation of Israel, before it comes to the place where
its God again is in charge of blessedness for them! as He is already for so
many of the Gentiles who know Him. He has personal matters, and national, and
indeed, what category can be removed from the precise portents of the Lord!
(cf. Acts 17:26-27).
It is ONE
thing, and a noble and grand one, to be rescued from extinction by the Lord,
and brought back to their land, for as we have shown in the volumes noted, this
was a divine and unconditional promise. It is perfectly consistent with fearful
continuing suffering until the Lord is sought with all the heart, and grief of
spirit comes for sin, for these as for all others who come to Him in faith.
It is QUITE ANOTHER THING
when in repentance and holiness (as in Zephaniah 3), a quite and humble people
receive FROM THE LORD, their place and the grace in the place of their souls
likewise, before the end comes. It is then that the diamond, the tiara, comes brilliant
to the fore, for " ‘they shall be mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘on the day
that I make up My jewels’ " - and what jewels! as Zephaniah 3:12-13 narrates.
Meanwhile, Sharon is in; and a weaker government is
not. The thing is not a give-away after all. The tension continues. The time is
drawing near.
The Light that shone is
already giving glints to the expectant eye, in the portents of the dawn.
Now CHAPTER 6.