THE KING IS COMING
GET READY! GET READY!
My dear reader,
there are some world news reports at the back of this issue, but I am
burdened to bring a word of encouragement to you and all my readers
around the world. And what I say to you, I say to all ... “Hold fast,
for our glorious King will soon return.”
“Let us hold fast,
without wavering, to the hope (the confident expectation) we
profess, for He who promised is faithful; let us consider how to
stimulate one another to love and good deeds; and let us not give up
meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us
exhort and encourage one another - and all the more, as you see
the Day of YHWH approaching ... Do not throw away your confidence
which has a great reward; for you have need of endurance, so that when
you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
For in just a very little while, the One who is coming will come,
and He will not delay.”
(Hebrews 10:23-25, 35-37)
There is a lovely and lively song
we used to enjoy singing so much at our King of Kings Festivals in
India.
Blow a trumpet in Zion, Sound it on the
mountains 
Blow a
trumpet in Zion,
For the day
of the Lord is come.
Halle
hallelujah, Lord God Almighty,
Halle
hallelujah,
Y’shua is King.
For the day
of the Lord is come.
Blow the
trumpet in Zion, Zion,
Sound the
alarm on My holy mountain.
Blow the
trumpet in Zion, Zion,
Sound the
alarm!!
YES, THE
KING IS COMING
Oh what joy and rapture is ahead
for all who are on the LORD’S side; for those who can proclaim these
words:
Oh the King
is coming! The King is coming!
Praise God,
He’s coming for me!
JESUS,
Y’SHUA, IS COMING
Jesus is
coming, O Jesus is coming,
He’s coming
again and the time may be near!
Sing to the
nations, O tell it and shout it
The wonderful
message that ev’ry one needs to hear!
Jesus is
coming, Jesus is coming again.
Coming again!
Coming again! Jesus is coming again!
The burden of my heart for all my
readers, is that each one will be ready for the coming of the Master.
The Day is drawing very near. And although we don’t know when, Y’shua,
Jesus, is coming again, world events are screaming out,
“Get ready!”
This is not some vague “hope” we
have, believer, it is the definite promise of the Messiah who is the
Truth. He has promised to return and rapture (catch up) His people - to
receive them to Himself. It is a very definite expectation that fills
our hearts, and the above Scripture exhorts us not to lose that
confidence. Although many Christians today, it seems,
have
cast away their
expectation of the Rapture, this blessed hope has been the event that
born again believers have been waiting for, ever since the day the
Saviour ascended to Heaven. Remember ...
“While they watched,
He was caught up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while
they were looking intently into the sky as He went up, behold, two men
in white clothing stood by them; and they also said, ‘Men of Galilee,
why do you stand gazing up into the sky? This
same Y’shua, who has been taken up from you into Heaven, will come back
in just the same way as you have seen Him go into Heaven’.”
(Acts 1:7-11)
The Second Coming is Scriptural!
The Rapture is scriptural!
One brother wrote to me recently
and said, “Don’t use that word ‘Rapture.’ It is not in the Bible.”
True, the
English word
Rapture is not in the
Bible, but the
event
is there! And Rapture is not a bad
word. If I didn’t use the word Rapture, then I would use “the Catching
Up” – that expression is definitely there, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
But I like the word
Rapture,
because the catching up is going to be rapturous - such joy that most of
us have never ever experienced.
In the Scriptures there are 200
promises regarding the FIRST coming of the Messiah. And there are 300
promises regarding the SECOND coming.
The apostle
Paul
said:
“ ... awaiting and
looking for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great
God and Saviour, Y’shua the Messiah.” (Titus 2:13)
The apostle
John
said:
“Little children,
abide and stay in Him, so that when He appears, we may have
confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” (1 John 2:28)
The apostle
Peter
said that many would
scoff at the prospect of the Master’s return and its seeming delay.
But ... “The LORD is
not slow concerning His promise, as some understand slowness, but is
patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish, but for everyone to
come to repentance. But the Day of YHWH will come (unexpected)
like a thief in the night...” (2 Peter 3:9-10)
The apostle
James
said:
“Be patient,
therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Master. See how the farmer
waits expectantly for the precious ‘fruit of the earth,’ waiting
patiently until the land receives the early and late rains. You
too be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Master is
near.” (James 8:7-8)
All the great Bible believers over
the centuries, although they may not have had the same understanding of
all the details, have believed in the literal return of Christ.
Martin Luther said: “I live as
though Jesus Christ died yesterday, rose again today, and were coming
tomorrow.”
And fully 5000 of Charles Wesley’s
7,000 hymns refer to the Second Coming of Christ.
HOLD
FAST! JUST A LITTLE WHILE LONGER
Today, in spite of the apostasy
that is sweeping through sections of “the Church,”
millions of believers
are keenly awaiting the
Master’s return. And to these believers I say, “hold fast... for in just
a very little while, the One who is coming will come, and He
will not delay.”
* Many believers do expect the
return of the Lord, but they are sometimes
discouraged
in various ways in
these last days. And I want to say to them; “Keep looking up! Do not
throw away your confidence. He who promised is faithful. Be encouraged
in the Master!”
Don’t be surprised, my brother, my
sister, at the trials that come your way. We are sons and daughters of
El Shaddai, the Almighty God, and He is with us in the midst of the
storm; even in the fiery furnace. Remember John Newton?
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have
already come.
’Tis grace
that brought me safe thus far;
And grace
will lead me home.
Remember Simon Peter’s words;
“Praise be to the God
and Father of our Master, Y’shua the Messiah, who, by His great mercy,
has caused us, through the resurrection of Y’shua the Messiah from the
dead, to be born again into a living hope, into an inheritance which can
never perish, or be corrupted, or fade away, that is kept safe
in heaven for you, and for all who, through faith, are being
protected by the power of El Shaddai (Almighty God) until the
coming of the deliverance that is ready to be revealed in the last
time.
“In this you greatly
rejoice, even though now for a little while, you have been distressed by
various trials, that the proving of your faith - which is more
precious than gold that perishes, though tested by fire - may be
found to result in praise, glory and honour at the revelation of
Y’shua the Messiah; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and
while not seeing Him at present, yet believing in Him, you
rejoice with joy inexpressible, and are filled with glory.” (1
Peter 1:3-8)
Don’t let trials and
disappointments rob you of your joyful expectation of the Saviour’s
imminent return!
“Consider it all joy,
my brethren, when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing
of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its
perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
* I know many of my readers
are hurting
- some very badly. But,
beloved, I beg of you, bring all your hurts, your wounds, your sorrows
to the Saviour’s feet - and leave them there. You don’t have to keep
bearing that load of care.
“Rejoice in YHWH-Y’SHUA
the LORD always ... The Master is near. Do not be anxious about
anything - do not worry at all, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the
peace of God, which exceeds all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds through the Messiah, Y’shua.” (Philippians 4:4-7)
Don’t keep picking at the scabs.
Do you remember your mother telling you that? Don’t pick at your wounds.
Let the healing process go on. Don’t keep going over the hurts and
wounds of your past experiences.
* There are some of my readers who
feel a
failure.
They feel they have
failed in the eyes of people around them; and in the sight of the
Master. They have failed themselves, and now they don’t want to try any
more.
* Dear one,
failure is not final!
The Heavenly Father is
your Father, and He is with you,
and He hears your groans. He counts every tear that flows down your
cheeks. It may be that He is waiting for you to realize that
in our own strength we can
do nothing but fail.
Victory is in Y’shua, our victorious Saviour. Won’t you give your
failure to the Master, and ask Him to translate His victory into your
experience? He can do it!
* Some of my readers are
Christian workers who are
very tired.
Are you one of them? You may have been hindered by sickness, accidents,
financial distress, opposition, stinging criticism and other distresses.
It may be that you feel hemmed in, and that there is little lasting
fruit from all your labours. You ask, “Is it really worthwhile?”
It may be that the load you carry
is too heavy. It is time to rest! Hold on, my weary co-worker. “Hang in”
there! I know how you feel. And more important, your Master knows, and
He has felt all the knocks you have received, all the burdens you carry,
and all the frustrations that disturb you. Remember His gracious words
in the following scripture. They are for YOU!
“Come to Me, all
you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My
yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart;
and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load
is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
* Some of my readers are sick
and bed-ridden, and they feel at such a loss. Physical disability has
brought them low, and their hopes and aspirations seem dashed to pieces.
They are trying to cope with limitations, and often feel they are a
bother to other people. Sometimes they think there is no hope for them
in this world. But dear suffering one, hear your Master’s words:
“This sickness is not
unto death, but it is for the glory of God, that the Son of God
may be glorified by it.” (John 11:4)
On your sick bed, the Master is
ministering to you, beloved. And He intends to bring you through your
circumstances, with a deeper understanding of His surpassing love and
grace to you.
* It may be that some of my
readers are
entrapped
by circumstances that are
entirely beyond their own control. There seems to be no way out of their
dungeon of distress, and they cry out. “Why, O Lord?” They feel like
Joseph:
“You have laid me in
the lowest pit, in darkness, in the depths.” (Psalm 88:6)
It is very difficult at such times
to accept that...
“God causes
all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those
who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
But that Scripture is true, dear
one. Trust in Him and He will bring it to pass. Trust Him, and shortly
you will be saying ...
“I waited intently
for YHWH, and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He brought me up out
of the pit of destruction, out of the mud and mire, and He has set my
feet upon a rock. He has established my footsteps. He has put a new song
in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.” (Psalm 40:1-3)
* Many of my readers are
young people,
and some are
experiencing discouragements as they prepare for life and service for
the Master. Maybe you are one of them? While others seem carefree and
don’t have the struggles you have, you feel you are targeted for defeat!
You feel you are never going to make the grade? Satan is doing
everything possible to hinder you? Temptations seem too strong. You want
to follow the Master, but you are tempted to give up.
Young disciple; your Master is
teaching you to walk in His steps; to trust in Him and not to place
confidence in yourself. Y’shua Himself, as a young Man in His early
thirties, said:
“I assure you truly,
the Son can do nothing of Himself, but only what He sees the Father
doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son also does in like
manner.” (John 5:19)
And the apostle Paul learned the
lesson:
“I have been
crucified with the Messiah; and I no longer live, but it is the
Messiah who lives in me; and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave
Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
All disciples have to learn to
walk in the Master’s steps. What you are going through is not uncommon.
All mature men and women of God have been through similar experiences to
you. They have had the same feelings, fears, and doubts. But they have
kept their eyes on the Master. The following verses have been a
tremendous help to me, and to believers down through the centuries. Take
encouragement in God’s Word:
“Therefore, since we
are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also
throw off every weight, every encumbrance, every hindrance, and
particularly the sin that most readily assails, entangles and
leeches onto us, robbing us of spiritual strength; and let us
run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on
Y’shua, the Author of the Faith and the One who completes and
perfects our faith, who, in view of the joy set before Him
endured the cross, ignoring and even despising its shame,
and has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider
and think much about Him who endured bitter hostility against
Himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”
(Hebrews 12:1-3)
* Some of my readers are
afraid.
Some are afraid of the
financial crisis; of the future; of what might happen. Some are afraid
to die; or afraid of being left behind!
Some have been going through tough
experiences, and have faced circumstances which Satan has used to create
a
spirit of fear
in your minds. And this is not
uncommon. In fact, it is one of Satan’s successful tactics that are used
so often to cripple believers and unbelievers alike.
Fear
is one of Satan’s
weapons, and it is one of the strongholds he seeks to build in minds.
But my reader, if you are a
believer in Christ, you need not fear. For the believer, there are
many precious
promises of God:
“For God has not
given us a spirit of fear, (cowardice and timidity), but of power
and love and of a sound mind - (discipline & wise discretion).”
(2 Timothy 1:7)
“Do not be anxious
about anything - do not worry at all, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the
peace of God, which exceeds all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds through the Messiah, Y’shua.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
“Let not your heart
be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” - Y’shua. (John 14:1)
“You are of God,
little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in
you than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
“For every one who
has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that
has overcome the world - our faith.” (1 John 5:4)
Faith is simply trusting God. We
are not told to “work up enough courage or strength.” No! Simply call on
the Lord and TRUST Him.
“I call upon YHWH the
One who is to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies ... He
delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they
were stronger than I.” (Psalm 18:3,17)
“You have also given
me the Shield of Your Salvation, and Your right Hand upholds me.” (Psalm
18:35)
* Some of my readers may be
facing, or waiting for,
death.
But even now, it may be
that you will be caught up from the bed to heaven, in the Rapture - “for
in just a very little while, the One who is coming will come, and
He will not delay.”
But if you are born again, and if
the Master should call you home before the Rapture, remember He is with
you at the time of your home-call. It is
your Saviour
who is calling you home. You have His precious promise:
“When you pass
through the waters, I will be with you.”
(Isaiah 43:2)
“Peace I leave with
you - My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You heard
that I said to you, ‘I am going away, and I am
coming to you’.” (John 14:27-28)
If you are not born again, then of
course you are in a very dangerous position. You are condemned already!
“You must be born
again! ... For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and
condemn the world; but so that the world might be saved through Him.
He who believes in Him is not condemned; he
who does not believe has been condemned already, because
he has not believed in the Name of the one and only begotten Son
of God.” (John 3:7, 17-18)
To be saved, to be born again,
dear reader, you need to simply call on the Name of the Lord Jesus,
believing in your heart, that He is the Saviour who died for your sins,
and rose again from the dead. As the Scripture above says, you are
not condemned if you believe in
the Son of God.
“For YHWH, the
Almighty God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
(His only and unique) Son, so that whoever
believes and trusts in Him, should not perish, but
have eternal (everlasting) life.” (John 3:16)
“If you confess with
your mouth Y’shua as Master, and believe in
your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved. ... for WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF YHWH-Y’SHUA
the LORD WILL BE SAVED.” (Romans 10:9,13)
“For by grace you
have been saved, through faith -
and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not
as a result of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians
2:8-9)
Reader, if you are not saved, will
you call on the Saviour today, and receive Him as your personal Saviour?
The following prayer will help you to express your faith. Pray sincerely
from your heart.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
I come to You, just as I am, a
sinner needing Your grace and forgiveness. I believe that Y’shua, Jesus,
is the Son of God who died as the Lamb of God, paying the penalty for my
sins. On the basis of what He has done at Calvary, I call upon You
Father, to forgive all my sins and save me today. Make me a new
born-again person.
Lord Jesus, I ask You to come into
my life today, with Your love, salvation, and eternal life. I give my
life to You, and by Your grace I will follow You as my Master and
Saviour, from this day on. Father, thank You for hearing and answering
this prayer, which I ask in the Name of Jesus, Y’shua the Messiah. Amen.
* *
* * *
“Bless YHWH, O my
soul, and do not forget all of His benefits; Who pardons all your
iniquities. YHWH is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and
abounding in mercy. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor
rewarded us according to our iniquities. As far as the east is from the
west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm
103:2,3,8,10-12)
READY FOR THE COMING
KING !
THE MESSIAH
KING & JUDGE
“The LORD reigns. The
strength of the King loves justice. You have established equity. You
have executed justice and righteousness.” (Psalm 99:1, 4)
In two earlier editions, we
meditated on the Messiah as Prophet-teacher, and as Priest-Redeemer. Now
we look at His role as Messiah-King and Judge. And as Y’shua of Nazareth
(who was born in Bethlehem, the hometown of King David), was totally
qualified for the multiple roles during His first coming, He is also
fully qualified for His future role as King & Judge.
Although He is indeed the King
Eternal (1 Tim 1:17), Y’shua’s Messianic Kingship role has been deferred
until the future – the Millennial and Eternal reigns. It is in those
times that this prophecy will be fulfilled:
“The kingdoms of the
world have become the kingdom of YHWH our LORD and of His
Anointed – the Messiah; and He will reign for ever and ever.”
(Revelation 11:15)
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE MESSIAH-KING
HE MUST
BE OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH
“The scepter shall
not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver
from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the
obedience of the people.” (Genesis 49:10). (Shiloh is a Messianic
title).
The tribe of
Judah
was the Divinely-chosen
line of the royal dynasty that began with
David.
MESSIAH
MUST BE OF THE LINE OF DAVID
“For to us a child is
born, to us a son is given; and the government will rest upon His
shoulders. His Name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the
increase of His government and of peace.
He will reign
on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish and
uphold it with justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever.
The zeal of YHWH of Hosts will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
In the Gospel of Matthew we have
the recorded genealogy of Y’shua, clearly showing His descent from
Abraham, through both Judah and David.
“The book of the
genealogy of Y’shua the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
To Abraham was born Isaac; and to Isaac, Jacob; and to Jacob,
Judah ... and then … Perez …
Hezron … Ram … Amminadab … Nahshon … Salmon … Boaz … Obed … Jesse … and
to Jesse was born David the king.”
(Matthew 1:1-2)
Judah
the chosen
tribe;
David
was the chosen
King
– the Anointed
(1 Sam. 16:12-13;
2 Sam. 23:1; Psalm 2:2; 18:50.)
David’s anointed descendant was
Y’shua the Messiah.
The angel Gabriel declared to
Mary:
“Look! You will
become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and you are to give
Him the Name, Y’SHUA. He will be great and will be called the Son
of the Most High; and the LORD God will give Him the throne of
His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob for
ever. There will never be an end to His kingdom.” (Luke 1:31-33)
Later the ascended glorified
Messiah declared His Davidic lineage from the Throne of God:
“I, Y’shua, have sent
My messenger to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root
and the Descendant of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” (Revelation
22:16)
THE
MESSIAH MUST BE BORN OF A VIRGIN
The prophecy and the fulfilment
are clear:
“Now in the sixth
month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee called
Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant
of the house of David. The virgin’s
name was Miryam (Mary). The angel came to her and said, ‘I
respect you highly! You are the Favoured One! The LORD is with
you! You are the most blessed of all women! … Look! You will
become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him
the Name, Y’SHUA’.” (Luke 1:26-28, 31)
“An angel of the LORD
appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be
afraid to take Miryam as your wife; for the Child
conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son;
and you shall call His name Y’shua (which means, YHWH is salvation),
for He will save His people from their sins. All this took place to
fulfil what the LORD had said through the prophet.
The virgin shall conceive, and
will give birth to a Son, and they
shall call His Name Immanuel; which translated means, ‘God is
with us.’ [Isaiah 7:24]. Joseph … took Mary as his wife, but
kept her a virgin until after she had
given birth to her firstborn Son; and he gave Him the Name, Y’shua.”
(Matthew 1:20-25)
MESSIAH
MUST BE BORN IN BETHLEHEM, AND HIS ORIGINS MUST BE FROM ETERNITY
The requirement in prophecy:
“But you, Bethlehem
Ephrathah, too small to be noticed among the clans of Judah. From
out of you will come forth for Me the One who will be ruler in Israel.
His origins are from eternity.” (Micah 5:2)
The fulfilment:
“And Joseph also,
because he was of the house and line of David,
went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the
town of David which is called
Bethlehem; in order to register, along with Miryam, his bethrothed wife
who was expecting a child. While they were there … she gave birth to her
firstborn, a son.” (Luke 2:4-7)
Y’shua’s origins are declared in
John 1:1-2, 14:
“In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with
God in the beginning before all time … The Word became flesh
(incarnate, human), and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the
glory of the ‘only begotten’ who came from the Father, full of
grace and truth.”
It was attested also by the
Father:
“As soon as Y’shua
was baptised, He went up out of the water; and at that moment, the
heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove, and alighting upon Him. And a voice came from heaven, saying,
‘This is My Son, My Beloved, I am well pleased with Him’.” (Matthew
3:16-17)
AN
ETERNAL THRONE COVENANTED TO DAVID
YHWH promised King David:
“I will raise up your
descendants to succeed you; and I will establish the kingdom of One
who will come forth from you. He will build a house for My Name, and I
will establish the throne of His kingdom for
ever … Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before
Me; your throne shall be established for ever.”
(2 Samuel 7: 12-13,16)
In the Psalms, YHWH again
declared:
“I will not violate
My covenant, nor will I change what has gone out from My lips. Once I
have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. His descendants
shall be forever, and his throne as the sun before Me. Like the moon, it
is established for ever, and the
witness in the sky is steadfast.” (Psalm 89:34-37)
Y’SHUA
RAISED UP TO SIT ON THE THRONE
The apostle Peter declared:
“David says of
Y’shua, ‘I SAW YHWH ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT
HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY
TONGUE EXULTED. MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; BECAUSE YOU
WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO
DECAY.’ [Psalm 16:8-10]
“Brethren, I may
confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died
and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he
was a prophet and knew THAT GOD HAS SWORN TO HIM AN OATH TO PLACE ONE
OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, [2 Sam 7:12], he foresaw this, and
spoke of the resurrection of the
Messiah - that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID HIS FLESH
SUFFER DECAY.” (Acts 2:25-31)
MESSIAH THE PRINCE
According to Daniel, the Messiah
will be a Prince.
“From the issuing of
a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the
Messiah the Anointed Prince
of Peace, there will be 7 ‘weeks’ and 62 ‘weeks’.” ( ie. 69 weeks of
years - 483 years). (Daniel 9:25)
And Isaiah refers to Messiah as
the Son, the Prince
of Peace.
“For to us a child is
born, to us a son is given; and the government will rest upon His
shoulders. His Name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the
increase of His government and of peace. He will reign on the
throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish and uphold it with
justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever. The zeal of
YHWH of Hosts will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)
Y’shua is indeed the
King of Peace.
In this role He is a prototype of the church which is described as a
“kingdom of priests” (Rev 5:10), which is appointed to reign with the
Messiah-King in the Millennium and throughout Eternity. (Revelation
20:6)
THE
DIVINE PURPOSE
The purpose of the Eternal One is
to place the Messiah, the descendant of David, on David’s throne, and
that He should reign for ever.
The prophet Jeremiah writes:
“‘In those days and
at that time I will cause to spring up for David a Branch of
Righteousness. He will execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
In those days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety;
and this is the name by which she will be called: YHWH our
righteousness. (YHWH Tzidkeinu).’ For this is what YHWH says:
‘David will never lack a man to sit on the
throne of the House of Israel’.” (Jeremiah 33:15-17)
The covenant did not guarantee an
uninterrupted rule by David’s family, but it did promise that the right
to rule would always remain with David’s dynasty, and that ultimately,
“the Branch of Righteousness” would take the throne.
For 500 years following David’s
own reign, his sons, in succession, sat on his throne in Judah. Then
from the Babylonian captivity until the birth of Christ - some 580 years
– there was in every generation a rightful heir to (though no occupant
of) David’s throne.
With the birth of Y’shua the
Messiah, there is no need for any other, for He is the true Heir – the
King Eternal.
“Y’SHUA
... He will be great and will be called the Son of
the Most High; and the LORD God will give Him
the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of
Jacob for ever. There will never be an end to His
kingdom.” (Luke 1:31-33)
“‘I, yes, I
have installed My King on Zion, My holy hill.’” [Heb.1:3. 8:1] Psalm
2:6).
This word was fulfilled for a time
in David’s reign, but will be gloriously fulfilled in Y’shua the
Messiah.
THE KING OF GLORY
“Lift up your heads,
O you gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of
Glory will come in! Who is this King of Glory? YHWH strong and mighty,
YHWH mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates, and lift them
up, O everlasting doors, and the King of Glory will come in! Who is this
King of Glory? YHWH of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. Selah” (Psalm
24:7-10)
YHWH of Hosts, the King of Glory,
is a title of the pre-incarnate Messiah.
“You have crowned Him
with glory and honour.” (Hebrews 2:7)
THE THRONE OF HIS GLORY
“When the Son of Man
comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit
on the throne of His glory.” (Matthew 25:31)
Y’shua Himself is the Sh’khinah –
the manifest glory of God. And from His Throne of Glory, the Sh’khinah
emanates to the heavens and earth.
“The Sh’khinah
glory of YHWH will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it;
for the mouth of YHWH has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:5)
“Y’shua answered
them, ‘I tell you the truth; in THE REGENERATION - the Messianic
renewal and restoration of the world - when the Son of Man sits on
the throne of His glory, you who have
followed Me will also sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes
of Israel’.” (Matthew 19:28)
“And truly, as I
live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of YHWH.” (Numbers
14:21)
“Blessed be YHWH
ELOHIM, the God of Israel, who alone is doing wonders. And blessed be
His glorious Name forever! And let the whole
earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” (Psalm
72:18-19)
THE
WORLDWIDE MESSIANIC REIGN
“Ask of Me, and I
will give the nations as Your inheritance, and
the very ends of the earth as Your possession.” (Psalm 2:8)
“And YHWH will be
King over all the earth; in that day it
will be acknowledged - YHWH is one; and His Name the only one.”
(Zechariah 14:9)
“O God, give the king
Your judgments, and Your righteousness to the king’s Son … He will rule
from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth … All kings
will bow down before Him, and all nations will serve him … His Name will
endure forever; His Name will continue as long as the sun; and
all people will be blessed in Him. All nations will call Him
blessed.” (Psalm 72:1, 6, 8, 11, 17)
Jesus
shall reign where’er the sun
Doth his
successive journeys run.
His
kingdom stretch from shore to shore
Till moons
shall wax and wane no more.
To Him
shall endless prayer be made,
And
endless praises crown His head;
His Name
like sweet perfume shall rise
With
every morning sacrifice.
MESSIAH
- THE HOPE OF ISRAEL
“O Hope
of Israel, its Saviour in time of distress, why are You like a
stranger in the land, and like a traveller who stays only a night?”
(Jeremiah 14:8)
The apostle Paul,
while a prisoner in Rome, said: “I am wearing this chain for the sake of
the Hope of Israel.” (Acts 28:20)
Another term which conveys much
the same meaning as the Hope of Israel,
is the Consolation of Israel:
“Now there was a man
in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This righteous and devout man was
waiting for the Consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the
Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the anointed of the
LORD - the Messiah.” (Luke 2:25-26)
The Hope and Consolation of Israel
is not merely an expectation – it is the Person of the Messiah-King.
MESSIAH - THE KING OF THE JEWS
“Where is He who has
been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the East, and have
come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2)
Y’shua the
Messiah-King “came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John
1:11)
But there was a remnant who
did recognise Him as the king, and
receive Him:
“When He came near
the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole band
of disciples began to praise God joyfully in loud voices for all the
miracles they had seen: ‘BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME
OF THE LORD!’ ” (Luke 19:37-38)
Y’shua did not deny that He was a
king.
“Pilate therefore
asked Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Y’shua answered, ‘You say correctly
that I am a king..” (John 18:37)
In fact, He confirmed that He was
indeed the
King of the Jews.
“Now Y’shua stood
before the governor, and the governor questioned Him saying, ‘Are You
the King of the Jews?’ And Y’shua said to him,
‘It is as you say’.” (Matthew 27:11)
Y’shua died with that title nailed
to His cross:
“For there was also
an inscription above Him, written in Greek, Latin and Hebrew which
read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
(Luke 23:38)
But the chief priests and rulers
of Israel proclaimed, “We will not have this man to reign over us.”
(Luke 19:14). And this has been the majority response of the Jews from
that time until the present time; with the result that for centuries …
ISRAEL HAS BEEN WITHOUT A KING
The Israelites’ long dispersion
among the nations as well as their unbelief and their return to YHWH,
was foretold by the prophet Hosea long ago:
“For the sons of
Israel will remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice …
afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek YHWH their God and
David their king; and they will come in awe to YHWH and to His goodness
in the last days.” (Hosea 3:4-5)
The return to YHWH-Y’SHUA has
begun, but its fullness awaits three major events for Israel - events
that will take place in the Tribulation - the Day of Jacob’s trouble.
The Outpouring of the Spirit on the Nation:
“And after this I
will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will
prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see
visions.” (Joel 2:28)
The Cleansing of the People:
“In that day a
fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, for sin and uncleanness.” (Zechariah 13:1)
The Fiery Ordeal of Israel
“In the whole land,
declares YHWH, two thirds will be struck down and perish; but one third
will be left in it. And I will bring this third through the fire, refine
them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will
call on My Name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My
people,’ And they will say, ‘YHWH is my God’.” (Zechariah 13:8-9)
These awesome works will refine
the Jewish people and prepare them for the kingdom that is to come.
After the great upheaval of the
Tribulation …
THE
MESSIAH WILL GATHER THE SAVED JEWISH REMNANT TO ISRAEL
“In that day, YHWH
will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people
who are left, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath,
and from the islands of the sea.” (Isaiah 11:11)
“Therefore the
Sovereign Master, YHWH, says, ‘Now I am going to bring back the captives
of Jacob, and have compassion on the whole house of Israel; and I will
be jealous for My holy Name. They will forget their disgrace and all
their treachery which they committed against Me, when they live securely
on their own land with no one to make them afraid.
“‘When I have brought
them back from the peoples and gathered them out of the lands of their
enemies, I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many
nations, and they will know that I am YHWH their God who sent them into
exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their
own land; and I will leave none of them there as captives
any longer. And I will not hide My Face from them any longer, for I
shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel.’ ” (Ezekiel
39:25-29)
Saved Israel will have a central
role in the Millennial kingdom, but Messiah will be …
A BANNER
FOR ALL NATIONS
“In that day the Root
of Jesse (David’s father) will stand as a banner for the peoples;
the nations will rally to Him; and His place of rest will be glorious.”
(Isaiah 11:10)
THE KINGDOM WILL INCLUDE THE SAVED OF ALL NATIONS
“And all the nations
will be gathered before Him … Then the King will say to those on His
right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:32, 34)
“All kings will bow
down before Him, and all nations will serve him … His Name will
endure forever; His Name will continue as long as the sun; and
all people will be blessed in Him. All nations will call Him
blessed.” (Psalm 72:11, 17)
“All nations whom You
have made come and worship before You, O Master, and glorify Your Name.”
(Psalm 86:9)
CHARACTERISTICS IN MESSIAH’S MILLENNIAL REIGN
What a great contrast between
Messiah’s kingdom and the present world order - the “kingdom of
darkness.”
HOLINESS
“It will come about
that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called
holy - all who are recorded
among the living in Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 4:3)
“In that day there
will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “HOLY TO YHWH.” And the
cooking pots in the house of YHWH will be like the sacred bowls in front
of the altar.” (Zechariah 14:20)
RIGHTEOUSNESS, JUSTICE and SECURITY
“‘In those days and
at that time I will cause to spring up for David a Branch of
Righteousness. He shall execute judgment
and righteousness in the earth. In
those days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in
safety’.” (Jeremiah 33:15-16)
“He will not judge by
what He sees with His eyes, nor make a decision by what He hears with
His ears; but with righteousness He
will judge the poor, and with justice,
give decisions for the meek of the earth. ...
Righteousness will be His sash and faithfulness the belt
around His waist.” (Isaiah 11:3-5)
TRUE
PEACE
“He will judge
between the nations, and will settle disputes for many peoples. They
will beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning
hooks. Nation will not take up sword against
nation, nor will they learn warfare any more.” (Isaiah 2:4)
“He will speak
peace to the nations.” (Zechariah 9:10)
COMPASSION AND DELIVERANCE
“All kings will bow
down before Him, and all nations will serve him. For He will
deliver the needy when he cries for
help, and the afflicted who has no helper. He will have
compassion on the poor and needy, and
will save the lives of the needy. He will
redeem their life from oppression and violence; and their blood
will be precious in His sight.” (Psalm 72:11-14)
SPIRITUAL
INSTRUCTION
“Many peoples will
come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, to the House
of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in
His paths.’ For the Torah (instruction) will go out from Zion,
and the Word of YHWH from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)
THE
PERVADING PRESENCE OF GOD
“And He will live
with them … Prayer also will be made for him continually, and He
will be blessed all day long.” (Psalm 72:15)
“Sing for joy and be
glad, O daughter of Zion! Look! for I am coming and I will live among
you,” declares YHWH.” (Zechariah 2:10
“And they shall call
His Name Immanuel, which translated means, ‘God with us’.” (Matthew
1:23)
“A shoot will spring
up from the stem of Jesse, and from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of YHWH will rest upon Him; The Spirit of Wisdom and of
Understanding, The Spirit of Counsel and of Power; The Spirit of
Knowledge and of the Fear of YHWH - and He will delight in the fear of
YHWH.” (Isaiah 11:1-2) “YHWH of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in
Jerusalem, and before His appointed elders in power and great
glory.” (Isaiah 24:23)
FULNESS
OF JOY
“Behold, God is my
salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for YAH, YHWH is my strength
and my song, and He has become my salvation. Therefore you will joyously
draw water from the springs of salvation … Cry aloud and
shout for joy, O inhabitants of
Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 12:2,
3, 6)
“YHWH reigns; the
earth is joyful; many islands are
rejoicing … For You, YHWH, are the Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.” (Psalm 97:1, 9)
ABUNDANCE
OF FOOD AND PROSPERITY
“Then He will send
you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes
from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will
graze in wide lush pastures.” (Isaiah 30:23). “There will be
abundance of corn in the earth.” (Psalm 72:16)
THE
BRIDE OF THE MESSIAH
In the Psalms we have a prophetic
picture of the Bride:
“Listen, O daughter,
and see; incline your ear. Forget your people and your father’s house;
and let the King delight in your beauty; because He is your Master - bow
down to Him … The King’s ‘daughter’ is all glorious within the palace;
her clothing is embroidered with gold. She is led to the King in
robes of many colours.” (Psalm 45:10-11, 13-14)
And a fuller picture of the Bride
is given in Revelation:
“‘HalleluYah! For the
LORD our God, the Almighty (YHWH El Shaddai), reigns.’ ‘Let us
rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has
come and His Bride has prepared herself.’ Bright and clean fine linen
was given to her to wear; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of
the set-apart people of God.” (Revelation 19:6-8)
“‘Come, I will show
you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb. Then in the Spirit he conveyed me
away to a great and high mountain, and showed me the Holy City,
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the Sh’khinah
glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very precious jewel, like
jasper, clear as crystal.” (Revelation 21:9-11)
The Holy City is the dwelling
place of the Bride – the place the Master has prepared for His Bride.
It is the palace of the King.
THE KINGDOM IS NOT THE CHURCH
Some have erroneously taught that
the Messianic kingdom is the church, but neither the Old Testament
Messianic prophecies, nor the New Testament teachings label the church
as the kingdom.
In broad terms, the
kingdom of God
refers to the universal
rule of God from everlasting to everlasting.
The
kingdom of heaven
is applied to God’s rule on earth. And that rule has taken various forms
such as in the times of the Judges, and the Davidic reign.
A spiritual form of kingdom is a
reality here and now as Y’shua reigns in the hearts of believers
worldwide. But the Messianic expectation is the reign of the Messiah on
earth – a kingdom with a heavenly character, but with a literal
worldwide manifestation.
Messiah’s reign did not begin at
the 1st advent, or at His ascension! It will begin at the 2nd coming
when …
THE KING
OF KINGS RETURNS
IN POWER
AND GREAT GLORY
Daniel described the Messiah’s
coming to receive the kingdom:
“In the night
visions, I kept looking, and then there was One like the Son of Man,
coming in the clouds of heaven. He came up to the Ancient of Days and
was presented before Him. Then He was given authority, glory and a
kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language
should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not
pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
(Daniel 7:13-14)
MESSIAH - THE JUDGE
The Messiah has been appointed as
the judge of all.
“For the Father
judges no one, but He has given all judgment to the Son, that all may
honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour
the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him.” (John 5:22-23)
THE BEMA SEAT - THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
This is the evaluation-judgment of
believers of the church…
“For we (believers)
must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Messiah, so that each one
may receive in reference to what has been done in the body, whether good
or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)
“Now if any man
builds upon the Foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood,
hay or straw, each man’s work will be shown for what it is, for the Day
will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire; and the fire will
test the quality of each man’s work. If the work which any person has
built on this Foundation survives, he shall receive his reward.
If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will
be saved, but only as one who has passed through fire.” (1
Corinthians 3:13-15)
MESSIAH, SEATED IN PLACE OF AUTHORITY
“These are
in accordance with the working of His mighty strength which He (God)
exerted in the Messiah, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him
at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and
authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only
in this age, but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:19-21)
“YHWH says to my
Master, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for
Your feet.’ YHWH will send the sceptre of Your strength from Zion,
saying, ‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies!’” (Psalm 110:1-2). See
also in Matt. 22:44; Heb.1:13; and Colossians.3:1. Also Hebrews 10:12
and 12:2.
THE
JUDGMENT OF THE WORLD
“He (God) has
fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a
Man whom He has appointed, having
furnished proof to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)
“…for He is coming;
for He is coming to judge the earth! He will judge the world in
righteousness, and the peoples in His faithfulness.” (Psalm 96:13)
THE JUDGMENT OF LIVING NATIONS
“But when the Son of
Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will
sit on the throne of His glory. And all the nations will be gathered
before Him; and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25:31-32)
This is the judgment of “the sheep
and the goats” – of the surviving people of the Tribulation.
THE JUDGE SUMMONS THE DEAD FOR JUDGMENT
“Most assuredly I
tell you the truth, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will
hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For just
as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have
life in Himself; and He has given Him authority to execute judgment
also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this; for
an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His
voice, and will come forth - those who have done good, to a resurrection
of life, and those who have practiced evil to a resurrection of
judgment.” (John 5:28-29)
These verses do not differentiate
between the resurrection of believers which brings them to, and through
an
evaluation-judgment, and
the resurrection that leads to the
sentencing-judgment
of the unsaved at the Great White Throne.
But Revelation 20:4-6 makes it
clear that there is a “first resurrection” (for believers) – the
resurrection to life; and there is a “second resurrection” (for all
unsaved) which leads to ...
THE GREAT WHITE THRONE
“I saw a great white
throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His
Presence, and there was no place found for them.” (Revelation 20:11)
It is the Person of the Messiah
who is the Judge on the throne – with the overpowering glory of God
emanating from Him.
THE KINGDOM IS HANDED OVER TO THE FATHER
Ultimately, when Messiah has
fulfilled His reign on earth, and all judgment has been completed, He
will “wrap up” the time-based kingdom and bring “the temporal ages” to
an end.
“Then comes
the end, when He (the Son) hands over
the kingdom to God the Father, when He has abolished all rule and
all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all enemies
under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE
HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He
says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is evident that He (the
Father) who put all things in subjection to Him (the Son), is
excepted. And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son
Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to
Him, that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-28)
What then follows is …
THE
ETERNAL REIGN OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
‘To the
One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb,
be
blessing and honour, and glory and power, for ever and ever.’
* * * * *
- - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THE
NEWS – IRAN & OBAMA
- - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
IRAN
BLOWS UP IN OBAMA’S FACE
June 25/09. Barack Obama’s key
policy of seeking dialogue with Iran’s leaders, to keep a lid on Iran’s
nuclear program is looking more and more ludicrous.
After a week of soft-peddling on
Tehran’s brutal crackdown on Iran’s aggrieved protestors, Obama finally
said he was “appalled and outraged” at the violence with which the
demonstrations have been repressed.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
whose disputed election victory has prompted the biggest crisis in the
30-year history of the Islamic Republic, hit out at President Obama.
Ahmadinejad accused Obama of following his predecessor’s lead.
“Mr Obama made a mistake to say
those things. Our question is why he fell into this trap and said things
that previously (George) Bush used to say,” he said.
U.S. HITS
BACK AT AHMADINEJAD 
June 26/09. One day after Mr
Ahmadinejad’s attack on Obama, the White House accused the Iranian
President of seeking to blame the US for unrest following Iran’s
disputed election.
Ahmadinejad’s main opponent was
Mir Hussein Moussavi who lost even in his own city, according to
official election results. Upwards of a million young, pro-democracy
reformers, believing the polls were rigged, went to the streets calling
for a new election. The hardline Islamic government’s attacked the
protestors killing hundreds and injuring thousands.
June 25/09. Iranian authorities
arrested 70 university professors who met with embattled opposition
leader Mir Hossein Moussavi.
The academics arrested outside Mr
Moussavi’s house join more than 100 reformist journalists, academics and
politicians already being held incommunicado in Tehran’s Evin prison.
June 27/09. Moussavi backed down
from leading the protest movement after Irani leaders called for leaders
of protest movements to be executed.
KHAMENEI BLAMES ‘DIRTY ZIONISTS 
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s top
Muslim leader, who has solidly backed Ahmadinejad, accused “dirty
Zionists” and “Zionist media” for being behind charges that the results
of the election were rigged.
Ahmadinejad’s standing at home
appears to have suffered since the election. Several Tehran newspapers
reported that only
105 out of 290
members of parliament
attended a victory celebration for Ahmadinejad on 23rd June. 185 stayed
away, including Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani.
Iran’s most senior dissident
cleric, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, warned the authorities that
trying to snuff out dissent would prove futile.
If people are not allowed to voice
their demands in peaceful gatherings, it “could destroy the foundation
of any government,” regardless of its power, wrote Montazeri. He was the
heir apparent to the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini until falling out
of favor with the ruling clerics by questioning their almost limitless
powers.
Montazeri spent five years under
house arrest in the city of Qom, a center of clerical power and Shiite
Islamic learning.
Netanyahu defies Obama with harsh conditions for Palestinian ‘entity’
June 15/09. Binyamin Netanyahu
threw down the gauntlet to the US last night, grudgingly agreeing to a
limited Palestinian state that would be demilitarized and not in control
of its airspace or borders.
The hawkish Prime Minister
insisted that Israel would never give up a united Jerusalem as its
capital, and said that established Jewish settlements in the West Bank
would continue to expand — despite explicit objections from Washington.
The right-wing Israeli leader said
the moderate Palestinian leadership in the West Bank must agree to
recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, as well as fight
the Islamic hardliners Hamas, who now control Gaza, in return for the
resumption of peace talks.
“The key condition is that the
Palestinians recognize in a clear and public manner that Israel is the
state of the Jewish people. If we have the guarantees on
demilitarization, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as a state of
the Jewish people, then we arrive at a solution based on a demilitarized
Palestinian state alongside Israel,” Mr Netanyahu said.
“Each will have its flag, each
will have its anthem. The Palestinian territory will be without arms,
will not control airspace, will not be able to have arms enter.”
www.timesonline.co.uk
DEEP
DIVISION BETWEEN U.S. AND ISRAEL
June 24/09. The deep division
between Israeli and American views on the future of Judea and Samaria
became more evident Tuesday when the office of Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu announced the cancellation of a planned meeting with US Middle
East envoy George Mitchell, in France.
The American envoy instead will
meet with Defense Minister Ehud Barak during Barak’s trip to Washington
next week.
“STOP
CONSTRUCTION IN EAST JERUSALEM”
The Obama administration’s latest
demand is that Israel stop construction work in East Jerusalem - in
areas captured in the 1967 war.
“OBAMA MAY BE ‘MOST HOSTILE PRESIDENT TO ISRAEL”
June 22/09. President Barack
Obama’s refusal to take a stand on protests in Iran stands in sharp
contrast to demands he has made on Israel, Morton Klein, president of
the Zionist Organization of America, says in a Newsmax interview.
“I think he should take a strong
stand to support the protesters in Iran who want to transform that
society into one that promotes democracy and human rights,” Klein says.
“But while meddling in Israel’s affairs and making specific demands, he
explicitly states he refuses to meddle in Iran’s policies and has said
almost nothing.”
Klein says leaders of Jewish
organizations are deeply concerned about Obama’s actions and policies
toward Israel, and now they’re rethinking their support which they gave
to Barack Obama during the campaign and the election.”
“There are many leaders in the
organized Jewish world who have privately discussed this issue with me,”
and says Klein, whose organization of 30,000 members is the oldest
pro-Israel group in the country.
Based on the president’s speech in
Cairo on June 4 and many of his foreign policy appointments, Klein
thinks Obama “may become the most hostile president to Israel ever.”
http://www.newsmax.com/kessler/Barack_Obama_Israel_Iran/2009/06/22/227763.html
PALESTINIANS: DON’T START TALKS ‘FROM SCRATCH’
June 17/09. The chief Palestinian
negotiator says that Israel must resume peace talks from the point where
they ended under Israel’s previous, more moderate government. Ahmed
Qureia told reporters at his office just east of Jerusalem that talks
cannot “start from scratch.” Netanyahu wants to restart the process at
the beginning.
OBAMA
RESUMES TIES WITH DAMASCUS
June 24/09. U.S. President Barack
Obama is resuming diplomatic ties with Syria after a four-year hiatus as
he aims for a regional peace in the Middle East. Syrian President Bashar
Assad has conditioned peace with Israel on its regaining sovereignty of
the strategic Golan Heights. Slightly more than half of the population
on the Golan comprises Jews, and most of the remainder are Druze.
Israeli Foreign Minister spokesman
Andy David told Israel National News that the move by the US is part of
Obama’s policies of “talking with the enemy” and that the issue of the
Golan Heights is not a top American priority.
He noted that the return of an
envoy does not necessarily mean an improvement in relations and that the
US wants to have a more direct influence on the issues of the inquiry
into the murder of former anti-Syrian Lebanese prime minister Rafik
Hariri, the struggling economy in Syria and its support of Iraq rebels.
OBAMA TO
CALL FOR NEW FINANCIAL REGULATOR,
STRONGER
FEDERAL RESERVE
Jun. 16/09. The Obama
administration is proposing the broadest changes in financial regulation
since the Great Depression, calling for the elimination of some bank
regulators and giving the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve vast
new authority.
SCO
IRAN
WANTS TO BE FULL MEMBER OF SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION
June 17/09. President Ahmadinejad
— freshly anointed by the Supreme Leader to stay as the face and voice
of the regime’s apocalyptic agenda, headed straight for Moscow
yesterday. There, he met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and
leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to continue
building a political and military alliance between Russia, China, Iran
and Islamic countries in Central Asia.
Currently, Iran has “observer”
status in the SCO, but has requested full member status.
The SCO alliance is evocative of
the eastern-portion of the biblical alliance foretold in Ezekiel 38-39
that will come against Israel and seek to destroy the Jewish people in
what the Bible calls the “last days” of history.
http://bible-prophecy-today.blogspot.com/2009/06/ahmadinejad-in-moscow.html
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