11 October 2024
This week marked one year since the horrific invasion of Israel by Islamic terrorists from the Gaza Strip on 7th October 2023, resulting in the most brutal massacre of Jews on one day since the Holocaust.
What lessons should we learn from this event?
The world has been turned upside down. Like a volcano, the murder, rape and mutilation that took place on that day have triggered an eruption of evil that had been simmering away for decades. Suddenly, the world was overwhelmed by the lava of filth and hatred of the Jewish people.
Despite the fact that over the past year the Jewish State of Israel has been fighting for its survival, antisemitism is on the rise – in the eyes of some, antisemitism is the worst it has been since WWII.
October 7th also lifted the lid on the myth that a political solution is nigh between Israel and the Palestinian leadership for a “two states” solution. The fact is that Palestinian society has radicalized dramatically, to the point that the overwhelming majority of Arab Palestinians support the genocidal agenda of Hamas.
It has also taught us that the revolutionary regime in Tehran is the main sponsor and supporter of terror and violence in the world. Like an octopus with tentacles throughout the Middle East and beyond, Iran makes no secret of its messianic ambition to destroy the West, including Israel and the United States. It will use whatever violent measures it can to achieve its goals.
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"Despite the fact that over the past year the Jewish State of Israel has been fighting for its survival, antisemitism is on the rise."
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At this moment, Israel is preparing to attack Iran, in order to destroy the threat that the regime presents to the millions of lives of Israeli citizens – Jews and non-Jews. It is not yet known when and how this will happen.
Meanwhile, the international community continues to place pressure on Israel to make territorial and other concessions to enable the establishment of a Palestinian state in the mountains of Judea and Samaria, with so-called “East Jerusalem” as its capital.
Having experienced the horrors of October 7th and fighting an existential war with Iran on several fronts, Israel cannot and will not withdraw from this territory.
And so, we are in for a massive clash in the coming months between the Jewish State and the nations of the world, acting through the United Nations.
As the prophets of the Old Testament have foretold, the nations will come up against Jerusalem. The Lord will intervene to protect his people, and bring the nations to the valley of Jehosaphat, to judge them.
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"I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations.
Then they will know that I am the Lord."
Ezekiel 38:23
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Let us pray fervently that this conflict will not escalate to cost the lives of thousands or millions of people. We pray for the Israeli leadership, and for all involved in this escalating drama. Let us also pray for the enemies of the Jewish people – that their hearts will be turned. Pray also for the miraculous release of the 101 hostages that remain in captivity in Gaza.
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The real lessons of Oct. 7 must not be ignored
Jonathan S. Tobin at JNS: “While there are individual Palestinians who may believe in the idea of peace with Israel, they are isolated and overwhelmingly outnumbered by supporters of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the so-called “moderates” of the Fatah party (whose nearly 89-year-old leader Mahmoud Abbas serves as the head of the Palestinian Authority). They have all made it clear over and over again in their organizational charters, statements and rejection of every effort at a compromise peace plan over the decades that they deny the legitimacy of a Jewish state, no matter where its borders might be drawn.”
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Fake Solutions for a Real problem
Amir Taheri at Gatestone: “Khamenei's opening gambit may lead to a real clash of two visions for the Middle East. Khamenei wants to make the whole region look like his Islamic Republic of Iran. In a fiery speech last Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu declared his ambition to make the Islamic Republic look like the rest of the region, that is to say swallow the bitter pill of accepting Israel as a reality.”
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Israel in Danger – Enemies Foreign and Domestic
By Guy Milllière at Gatestone: “As Israel turns to the existential danger presented by Iran, it will need all the support it can get, both from its own people and other nations. If they are smart, they will give it.”
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SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:
Ezekiel 38:17-23
17 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. 18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. 19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble, and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
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Israel & Christians Today
The goal of Israel & Christians Today is to help Christians to take God’s Word seriously, and study current events in the world in the context of the Bible.
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