BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES by Alexander Zephyr
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Brit-Am |
Contents:
Foreword from the Editor.
No Peace is Possible!.
Arabs do not want Jews! Period!!
There is no Peace Partner!!
Has America Abandoned Israel?
Outstanding Christian Supporters of Israel.
The Chosen Peoples.
A Time to Become Aware of Israelite Ancestry.
Where are the Ten Tribes Today?
THE PEACE PROCESS, JUDAH, AND THE TEN TRIBES.
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES.
by Alexander Zephyr
No Peace is Possible!
There can not be true peace in the Middle East between the Arabs and Jews in our days. That is what the Bible says. Real Peace will eventually come, when God redeems all Israel and sends the Messiah, son of David. Then all the nations of the world will be redeemed and will start serving the Almighty God, and true Peace will descend upon mankind. All the nations of the world will acknowledge the God of Israel, as the only God of the Universe, and than the Messianic Age will come.
Meanwhile, let us examine the Scriptures on the particular subject of Peace in the Middle East. First of all, to make a long lasting, comprehensive, true Peace between the Arabs and Israelis, requires full a genuine commitment of both parties to pursue this noble goal with honesty, integrity and, if necessary, sacrifices.
More than anything else in the world Israel wants Peace. Israelis are 'literally dying for real Peace'. They didn't come to the Promised Land by force. They didn't conquer the land by military adventure. After WWII and the disasters of the Holocaust, Jews had nowhere to go, except to the historical land of their fathers, the Land of Israel. They had lived on this land since the time of Joshua (1385 BCE) for a good 1,500 years until destruction and exile in 70 and 135 CE. Before that, they had had a glorious statehood, the United Kingdom of Israel, ruled by the most famous Kings, David and Solomon; their history, culture, the immortal Book of Books, the Bible, well known to the World. Even after the Romans exiled them from their land, Jews were still present in Palestine, sometimes in small numbers, sometimes in large. In 614-617 CE, for instance, Jews controlled the majority of the Land and were dominant in Jerusalem. During the Crusader and Mameluk [Muslim Slave Controllers of Egypt] Rules, Palestine was dominated by Jewish culture and customs. The Land of Israel for 2,000 years had been scarcely populated by men and beast and was abandoned as a desolate waste. It is not an accident that no one nation of the world made Palestine their home state. God had secured and kept this Land for His people Israel, when they return from the exile again.
'But ye, O Mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to My people of Israel; for they at the hand to come. And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel.' (Isaiah 36:8, 10).
Jerusalem's population in 1785 CE was between 12,000-14,000 people. Hebron had approximately 850 inhabitants and Bethlehem 600. The Arabs called this land 'Southern Syria' and wanted it to become a part of 'Greater Syria', which would include Lebanon, Iraq, and Transjordan. They viewed themselves as an integral part of Syria, connected with it by national, economic, religious, linguistic, natural and geographical bonds. And because of this, they never sought to be a politically independent entity. They believed that they are the same people and that there are no differences between Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians and Jordanians.
This is what President of Syria, Hafez Assad, told PLO Chairman Yassir Arafat:
'You do not represent Palestine as much as we do. Never forget this one point: there is no such thing as a Palestinian People, there is no Palestinian entity, there is only Syria. You are an integral part of the Syrian people, Palestine is an integral part of Syria. Therefore it is we, the Syrian Authorities, who are the true representatives of the Palestinian People'.
Only after 1960 did they begin to call the land 'Palestine.'
Arabs do not want Jews! Period!!
The Jews and Christians always referred to the land as 'Holy Land', 'Land of Israel' or 'Palestine'.
The Total population of Arabs, Jews and Christians in the time of the Turkish Ottoman Empire was not more than 200,000. Previously, the Jewish population in the Palestine before the Roman's expulsion, according to Josephus Flavius, had been around 2,500.000.
Between 1850 and 1918 the Arab's population reached 550,000. And the real reason for this was Jewish immigration. The Jews created agriculture, built industry, infrastructure, hospitals and schools, provided jobs. The life of the Palestinians tremendously improved. Tens of thousands of Arabs of many surrounding Muslim countries immigrated to Palestine to benefit of these economical opportunities. In 1934 alone, approximately 33,000 Arabs left the Hauran Province in Syria for a better life in Palestine.
That is why the UN, after considering all these facts, plus the Balfour Declaration and San Remo Conference of 1920, had partitioned the Land in order to establish a Jewish state alongside a Palestinian entity, to live together in peace and harmony. The Jews had accepted this decision. The Arabs rejected it. They rejected Israel's offers for peace in 1967 and in 1978. They rejected Ehud Barak's proposal of a Palestinian independent state in 2000 and Ehud Olmert peace package in 2008. They don't want a Jewish state in Palestine. They don't want to share the Land of Israel with the Jews. They don't want Jews around. Period.
There is no Peace Partner!
How can you make a real lasting Peace between the two nations, when one is sincere, shows its value of life and readiness to make necessary sacrifices , and, in fact, already has demonstrated it by giving away 'Land for Peace'; whereas the other side is cheating, asks too much and gives nothing in return, full of hatred, intolerance and aiming for the destruction and annihilation of other? How can one trust such a nation? And for how long has the World to pretend that this has been otherwise and play a cheap immoral political game with the so called Peace Process? How long can Israel sustain this torture under Global pressure to pursue the Peace process which continues to sap their strength and never will bring them peace and security?
Has America Abandoned Israel?
America and the rest of the 'Quartet' [Quartet on the Middle East: USA, UN, EU, Russia] in an effort to appease the Palestinians and the Muslim world in general, have imposed outrageous, draconic demands on Israeli's Government, forcing them to make dangerous, self destructive decisions.
Israel feels that America has abandoned her. The years of close relationship, when both countries had shared democratic values, enjoyed brotherly cooperation and military alliance, these years are gone. Now we have been witnessing 'a new beginning' promised by President Obama, a new relationship between USA and the Muslim world.
America's brotherly relationship with the Great Britain also has deteriorated in our days.
'They shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm: Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah.' (Isaiah 9:20, 21).
Doesn't it make you wonder and shake to see how these powerful prophesies, made 2,700 years ago, precisely show us in detail the situation of the World today?
There are many people who sincerely think that America's position towards Israelites goes against the teachings of the Bible, because to go against Israel simply means to go against God. Some religious leaders and theologian authors directly connect politico-economical and natural turmoils and disasters in the USA with the way they treat Israel.
Our readers know that these three brothers [and sons of brothers, i.e. Judah along with the sons of Joseph Ephraim, and Manasseh], sons of Jacob, represent Israelite countries in Exile, identified as America, England and the modern Israelis (Judah, half of whom ended their exile and became citizens of Israel; while another half still live in the Diaspora).
God foretold this situation thousands years before it has happened in amazing detail,
'Then I cut asunder Mine other staff, even Bands, that I might brake the brotherhood between Judah and Israel'. (Zechariah 11:14).
The Western World, which is mainly Christian, accepted the Jewish Bible as a Holy Book, the inerrant Word of God. Every Christian student of the Bible knows that there are plenty of passages in the Torah and Tanakh speaking on behalf of God, that the Almighty has chosen the people of Israel as 'My people' and has given the Holy Land ('My Land') to Israel forever.
God said to Abram,
' And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.' (Genesis 12:2, 3).
Outstanding Christian Supporters of Israel.
The best known 'Christian advocate' for Jewish people is Pastor John Hagee. That is what he said:
# It is unscriptural to go against Israel, because of doing so, one, in effect, poking God in the eye, which is not very wise to do! (Zechariah 2:8) I want to be blessed, not cursed, by God (Genesis 12:3). It is not possible to say, 'I am a Christian' and not love the Jewish people.#
Doctor Hagee is also one of the leaders of Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Here are some of his remarks made in August 2010 to the 5th annual CUFI Summit in Washington:
# Our world is divided into two groups: those who support Israel and those who do not. There is no middle ground. No matter how much noise Israel's opponents make, America's Christians stand with Israel. I stand here as Israel is surrounded and hounded, boycotted and threatened. I stand here with a strong message of solidarity with you, my Jewish brethren, the apple of God's eye.
# At this difficult juncture in our history, permit me to say something to you straight from the heart. Please know that what I say is a sentiment shared by millions of Christians across America and around the world. When all world is against Israel, we proudly proclaim:
'AniYisraeli! I am an Israeli!'
# Israel's enemies are our enemies. Israel's fight is our fight. If a line has to be drawn, then let it be drawn around both of us, Christians and Jews, Americans and Israelis. We are one. We are united. We will not be defeated. In the end, when the last battle has been fought, the flag of Israel will still be flying over the ancient walls of Jerusalem. Israel will prevail!
'AniYisraeli! I am Israeli!' #
God has blessed Pastor Hagee for his deep understanding of the Scriptures, his unprecedented bravery and unconditional love for God's chosen people.
The numbers of the Christian 'Biblical advocates' for the Jewish people and the state of Israel are constantly growing. Among the most prominent Christian Zionists leaders are Billy Graham, Pat Robertson and Jerry Fallwell.
'To stand against Israel is to stand against God. We believe that History and Scripture prove that God deals with nations in relation to how they deal with Israel', said Jerry Fallwell.
This is exactly what the Bible teaches!
The Chosen Peoples.
God has the Plan of Regathering; of Reuniting and Redeming all the families of Jacob in 'latter years' on the Mountains of Israel with the coming of the Messiah, son of David.
The Establishment of a Jewish State in the Land of Israel in 1948 with its capital in Jerusalem is the first stage of God's Plan before the final stage of Redemption. This is proven in detail by Scripture.
Why, then, do the majority of Christians disregard the Word of God and take the side of the Palestinians against the Jews? Pope Benedict XVI and his bishops have blamed the Israelis for using the Bible to justify their rights for the Holy Land.
Isn't it ridiculous?
In their anti-Semitic sentiments they are ready to ignore sacred Scripture for the sake of advancing their political agendas against the Jews. Instead of helping the Jewish people in fulfillment of the prophecies of the last days, as God has required, they have acted against God and His people.
The reason is simple, anti-Semitism and jealousy of the fact that God chose Israel, instead of them.
'Look, what these evil Jews have done to the poor Palestinians", often claim Christians. "Is it justice' Is it what God wants?'
We can confidently and proudly answer to them:
Yes, that is what God wants! This is His command and wish to give the Promise Land to His people Israel, whether you like it or not!
Speaking of closeness, it was not Israel's decision, but God's.
'And the LORD said unto Abram, for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.' (Genesis 13:15).
To Abraham's son Isaac God said:
'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give them all these lands. And through your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed.' (Genesis 26:4).
To Isaac's son Jacob, whose name later was changed to Israel, God said:
'I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give, and to thy seed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee back into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.' (Genesis 28:13, 15).
Israel's closeness is not a license for special privileges or racial superiority. On the contrary, it is a heavy burden and additional responsibility towards God and fellow men. God has elevated Israel above the nations to be a holy people, a light to the world, and He has punished them for their transgressions throughout the ages severely.
'You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth: Therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities.' (Amos 3:2)
God's closeness has brought much grief and sufferings upon the Jewish people. One survivor of the Holocaust expressed his feelings this way,
'I wish God never had chosen the Jews. Couldn't He choose any other nation instead?'
'You have been set apart as holy to the LORD, and He has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure. The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people: but because thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God and the LORD loved you.' (Deuteronomy 7:6-8; 14:2)
The Talmudic tradition says that the LORD offered the Torah to all nations, but they all refused to accept it, except Israel. On the individual level, any Gentile who devotes his life to the study and observance of the Torah ranks as high as the High Priest. Our Sages have thought that it was God's design that all humans descend from the same progenitor, Adam, who was a fully developed image of the Creator, so that nobody could claim a superior ancestral origin.
God has appointed all the House of Israel, including the Ten Tribes in exile, for a special mission:
'I have formed Israel for Myself that they will declare Me before the whole world. I will make you to be a covenant for the people and the light for Gentiles, that you will bring My salvation to the ends of the earth. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and the kings to the brightness of thy rising.' (Isaiah 42:6; 43:21; 49:6).
The paradox is that among jealous Christian anti-Semites are a multitude of people of Israelite origin who have completely lost their national identity, and even in their wildest dreams couldn't imagine themselves being the chosen people of God in the same way as the Jewish people are. Isn't it of them that God speaks in Isaiah 45:20?
'Gather together and come, you fugitives from the
nations. What fools they are who carry around their
wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save.'
And, besides, who are you to judge the Almighty God?
You have chosen a dangerous path to go against the living God and His Wisdom. The reason why you, being representative of the Ten Tribes of Israel are in exile, behave this way is:
'They will not frame theirs doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredome is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.' (Hosea 5:4).
All your human reasoning concerning Global Peace, Universal Justice and Human Rights are nothing to compare with what God has in mind concerning His future Kingdom on Earth.
'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' said the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts' (Isaiah 55:8, 9).
After the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, its miraculous victories in the wars that followed, and the recapturing of the East Jerusalem in 1967, which again has become sacred capital of the Jewish nation, many Christians have changed their mind about Israel: they recognized the Biblical significance of reborn Israel; they have seen prophecies fulfilled; and they have rejected Replacement theory as anti-Semitic, anti-Biblical, and as a great sin against God and His people Israel. The number of suche Christians has grown every day. There are more than 50 millions of them, mainly in the English speaking countries of the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and others. They call themselves 'Christian Zionists' and unconditionally support Israel any which way they can.
A Time to Become Aware of Israelite Ancestry.
The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel are still in Exile, waiting to wake up to their Israelite roots, to reunite with Judah in the Holy Land and be redeemed by the Almighty.
We sincerely believe that the time has arrived for mainstream Christians, descendants of Joseph and other tribes of Israel in exile today, wherever they are, to awake to their Israelite identity, repent and acknowledge the God of Israel; and start helping Judah in his lonely fight against the unjust and corrupt World, to bring God's Plan to a glorious conclusion.
Now let us return to the Peace Process.
Why do we think that peace negotiations will collapse and there will be no peace in the Middle East?
Because the Bible prophesied so!
Representatives of Israel, the Palestinians, the USA and anybody else involved will sit at the bargaining tables, talking peace and security, but there will be no peace, no security. On the contrary, wars and destructions will come instead.
'When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you from your wound' (Hosea 5:13).
What is the sickness of Ephraim?
Ephraim is the son of Joseph who originally settled in the British Isles together with his brother Manasseh, who later separated and emigrated to America. The sickness of Ephraim is the sickness of Joseph. Joseph represents the Ten Tribes of Israel in exile, mainly Great Britain and USA.
So, what is their sickness?
First and foremost, Joseph has forgotten the God of Israel, become unfaithful to His Laws which He had given to Moses on Mount Sinai for all Israelites.
All the sins committed by the inhabitants of ancient cities of Gomorrah and Sodom, as described in the Bible, have been inherited by the nations of Israel today. Primary, it is impiety, paganism, atheism, blasphemy, adultery, sodomy, homosexuality, lies, bloodshed, lack of compassion, cruelty, violent marriages, arrogance of wealth, disrespect of the laws of Nature, lust of every possible pleasure, - name it. That is what God calls Ephraim's sickness.
'Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loveth gifts (bribes), and followeth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come under them'. (Isaiah 1:23).
That Ephraim is Israel can be seen from many Biblical passages,
'I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredome, and Israel is defiled'. (Hosea 5:3).
All Ephraim and Judah's problems result from apostasy, from a falling away from God, and He has punished them with the Peace Process for their sins. Here is the proof of it:
'Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you' (Jeremiah 30:15).
God calls the Ten Tribes of Israel to repent and return to Him,
'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your wicked ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?' (Ezekiel 33:11).
Here comes good news:
'But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds' (Jeremiah 30:17).
'Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed nor disgraced ever again' (Isaiah 45:17).
What about the enemies who wanted to destroy Judah and Israel?
The God of Israel Himself will take proper care of them! The Fate of these nations is very clearly outlined in Zechariah 12 and 14 and in Ezekiel 38 and 39. What is said there, basically, is that Almighty God will fight the war on the side of Israel, and will be their Protector and Savior.
'But the LORD will be a refuge for His people, a strong
fortress for the people of Israel' (Joel 3:16).
Nobody can withstand the wrath of God! The nations are in for a powerful lesson. The prophet Jeremiah 30:16 described this punishment well:
'All they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that pray upon thee will I give for a pray.'
The History of Israel clearly indicates, that when Israelites listened to God, obeyed His Commandments and Statues, then God blessed them, lead and protected them in all their ways. But when they go astray from God and His Laws, worship idols and do detestable abominations, and become wicked as the heathen nations around, God turns His face from them and severely punishs them for their sins.
Judah's solution to the Peace Process is to stop trust the men, be it America, Germany, Russia, United Nations, or the Palestinians (especially!), and turn for help to Almighty God of Israel. Then everything will be all right!
Where are the Ten Tribes Today?
Prophecy says that Israel will multiply as the stars of the heaven and as the sand of the sea shore, which undoubtedly means hundreds of million people; the house of Israel will spread abroad to the four corners of the globe; God will be always with Israel, and bring them to the Holy Land again; that all nations of the world will be blessed through Israel; and that God will not leave Israel until everything written and spoken will be done.
Clearly, God is not speaking here only about the Jewish people, whose total population in the world today is 13,155,000, of which 5,634,300 live in the State of Israel, and the rest (6,444,000) are in the Diaspora, mainly in the USA. And the Jews have had no nations and kingdoms, except for Judea in the past and the modern State of Israel today. Meanwhile God predicted to Israel that 'a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy lions;' 'I will make of thee a multitude of people.' (Genesis 35:11; 48:4) Surely this applies not only to Judah, but to all Israel?
The total population of the house of Israel in the world, the so called 'Lost' Ten Tribes, is about 450,000,000 people! And the tribes of Israel have never been lost in the eyes of the Almighty God. These tribes are around us, some of them are among the mightiest countries of the world e.g. United States of America (Manasseh); others have lost some of their greatness such as Britain (Ephraim); while others are otherwise distinguished e.g. Australia, Canada, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland.
They are all Israelite countries, originating from Israelite Tribes. If somebody wants to know more about this subject, we gladly recommend visiting the Brit-Am, Movement of the Ten Tribes of Israel, Web Site.
http://www.britam.org
Brit-Am is headed by its founder, a very knowledgeable and dedicated man, Yair Davidiy from Jerusalem.
All Scripture and the Sages say that the Israelite Ten Tribes eventually will return to the Promised Land and receive the Heavenly Torah once more.
Whosoever does not accept this plain Biblical truth is guilty of denying the Word of God.
There are many people, Jews and Gentiles alike, who have understood these prophecies of the End of Days; who find and rightfully identify the countries of Israelite origin. We are feverishly working towards the awakening and reunification of all the families of Israel in order to fulfill the prophecies of final Redemption and the Messianic Age.