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Now is the time to plan for a once in a lifetime tour of the Holy Land. This tour is especially designed to feature biblical sites all over the land of Israel, with emphasis on the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Follow in the footsteps of your Lord, the apostles, and the ancient prophets. This spectacular tour will conclude in the city of the Great King in Jerusalem, where a two day International Prophecy Congress will be held. Speakers, among others include Norbert Lieth, Meno Kalisher, Arno Froese, and Israeli experts. Space will be very limited. We urge you to place your reservation early. According to available information, the complete land-only cost will be around $2,195 (airfare extra). Please be sure to reserve your place on this important tour to the land of Israel. $400 per person will guarantee your participation (fully refundable up to 45 days before departure). Itinerary is subject to change.
Contact Us!
The first step in making this once-in-a-lifetime dream come true is to contact us and ask for more information! Olive Tours/Midnight Call Ministries PO Box 84309; Lexington, SC 29073 1-800-845-2420; Fax: 803-755-6002; kathy@midnightcall.com Latest information: http://www.midnightcall.com/events/israel-tours
August 2012
Physical Location: 4694 Platt Springs Road West Columbia, SC 29170, USA
Dr. Wim Malgo (19221992), Founder Arno Froese, Editor Fredi Winkler, International Editor
Lisa Dixon, Layout Designer Kimberly Farmer, Copy Editor Ann Fankhauser & Gaby Berry, German-English Translators
Does the existence of the state of Israel have a special theological meaning for us? Or is it merely a normal political fact that has nothing directly to do with Gods plan of salvation and our understanding of the Bible? Both positions are represented today by Christians who call themselves Bible-believing.
Historic First Limmud Held Page 26
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16 ON THE HORIZON
C ONTENTS
INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS
Nachrichten Aus Israel (German), Postfach
290, Ringwiesenstrasse 12a CH--8600 D ubendorf Switzerland Nieuws Uit Israel (Dutch), Postbus 193, 3940 AD Doorn, Netherlands Noticias de Israel (Portuguese), Caixa Postal 1688, 90001970 Porto Alegre RS, Brazil Noticias de Israel (Spanish), AV. Millan 4396, Casilla 6557, 11000 Montevideo, Uruguay Nouvelles dIsrael (French), Case Postale 290, Ringwiesenstrasse 12a CH--8600 D ubendorf Switzerland
21 Discovery Reshapes Understanding 24 First Nuclear Submarine Planned? 26 Historic First Limmud Held 25 Israel Excluded from Counterterrorism
Fredi Winkler
Dear Friends of Israel, The visit to Israel this past June by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, received relatively little attention in the media, although in some ways, it was particularly noteworthy. Isi Liebler, an Israeli reporter, wrote in retrospect that Putins trip to Israel was his first foreign visit since winning the last election. In contrast, the first foreign visits made by Americas President Obama after winning his election were to Turkey and Egypt; but he has yet to visit Israel. Besides the recent trip, Putin also visited Israel in 2005. Among other things, the occasion for Putins visit was the official opening of a memorial at a museum in Netanya, built as a reminder of the contributions made by Jewish soldiers during the Red Armys victory over the Nazis. In his speech, Putin spoke in glowing words of Israels value and the greatest diaspora ever of Soviet emigrants. Recalling the time when Jewish dissidents in the Soviet Union were oppressed and persecuted, the visit by the former KGB officer who became the Russian President seems almost unbelievable, an event that no one would have imagined in their wildest dreams. He even visited the Wailing Wall with a yarmulke on his head, unthinkable in even the worst nightmares of his Bolshevik predecessors. Liebler then warned that all this should not lead to the conclusion that the autocratic President Putin has become a true ally of Israel or the Jewish people. In spite of the glowing words, one should not overlook the fact that Putin leads a nation that supports Israels greatest enemies, such as Syria and Iran. Putin also has a tendency to support the position of the Palestinians. He reassured PLA leader Abbas of that
Editors Note
position during his visit to Bethlehem. In the end, though, Liebler indicated that Putin appears to have real empathy toward Israel, where so many former Russian citizens now live. Putin has undoubtedly noticed that Israel, like Russia, is threatened by Islamic fundamentalists, thus leading to Russias tense relations with Turkey. Putins visit to Israel has almost certainly sent a message to Arabs that Russia is not a partner in their efforts to destroy Israel, even though Russia and Israel have differences of opinion in regard to Syria and Iran. As the relationship develops between Russia and Israel, in ways that couldnt have been imagined thirty years ago, we are challenged to reexamine our understanding of biblical prophecies, particularly Ezekiel 38 and 39. Many years ago, a traveler visiting Israel brought up this subject and asked me, Where is Islam found in the Bible, and what will its role be in the end-times? The question caused me to think. We see today a growing, new power north of Israel, namely Turkey; a nation that was once well-disposed toward Israel, but has now become quite hostile. The secular character of Turkey, established in its constitution, has become just the opposite under the leadership of Prime Minister Erdogan in the past ten years. Erdogan has managed to effectively change the constitution, denying the military leadership its right to preserve the secular character of the political leadership and even topple the government, if necessary; something that has occurred four times in Turkeys modern history. Thus, Erdogan has managed to concentrate all the power in his hand. As we look to the prophetic Word, it is important to look at the developments in Turkey, too. In the knowledge that God is redeeming His Word in a fascinating and surprising way,
Fredi Winkler
AUGUST 2012 5
Shalom,
C O V E R S T O RY
<By DR. WOLFGANG NESTVOGEL, Pastor of the Confessing Evangelical Church in Hanover, Germany of Israel? The treatment of the causa Israel is a good example of the way in which prophetic texts are dealt with in general. In the necessary brevity here, we will consider what hermeneutical (concerning the interpretation) questions are to be explained if we want to understand correctly the proclamations of future events. 1. The opposite pole in the Israel question: inheritance by the Church, or a real promise of a future for the ancient people of God? We will limit ourselves to the comparing of the two principal opposing positions, without at this point going into the fact that within the two camps there are further differentiations and variations. a) Inheritance thesis: the still outstanding promises for Israel have been passed on to the Church. Thereby earthly promises (such as, for instance, the return to the land) are not meant to be fulfilled literally, but applied to the Church of the New Testament. This position is also known under the name substitution theory, as it substitutes the ethnic people of Israel with the
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According to Calvin, the Old Testament Israel was already the Church in childhood.
symbolic Israel (the Church). The return of the Jewish people during the last century to their own land has, therefore, no spiritual significance. The inheritance thesis is an important part of the concept of Amillennialism, according to which there is no real 1,000 year kingdom (millennium). That which Revelation 20 describes, already began with the first coming of Jesus, and will last until His return. This is the classical position of the Reformed and partly also Lutheran theology. Thereby almost all the differences between the Old and New Testaments become blurred; the Abrahamic covenant applies to Israel and the Church in the same way (covenant theology). According to Calvin, the Old Testament Israel was already the Church in childhood (Institutes II, 11, 2). The true Israel is absorbed into the Church of Jesus, there is only one fellowship of believers, and this fellowship existed from the beginning of the old order to the present day, and
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will continue to exist on earth unto the end of the world.1 b) The literal fulfillment: the outstanding promises for the ethnic people of Israel will be literally fulfilled in the future. To these belong the conversion to the Messiah of the remnant (all Israel, Romans 11:26) in connection with the return of Jesus, and the by then no longer oppressed existence in their own country (restoration of Israel). The return of the secular people of Israel following the Second World War, therefore, is in fulfillment of the divine plan. It creates the preconditions for the future events of Zechariah 12-14. Within the framework of this view, we expect a literal fulfillment of the promise of the 1,000 year kingdom, which the Lord will return to set up. This is the position of the so-called pre-millennialists (Jesus will return before the establishment of the real millennium). It is known in places, particularly in Germany, under the term dispensationalism.2 We should not rely on labels, however, as there is no such thing as one dispensational-
C O V E R S T O RY
ism, but different streams which have formed around a common nucleus.3 It frequently occurs that opponents of the literal fulfillment draw a caricature of an extreme dispensationalism. Then, the impression is given that everyone who expects the restoration of Israel in her own land and a real millennium must simultaneously accept certain special dispensationalistic doctrines (e.g. the Sermon on the Mount only applies to the 1000year kingdom). This is definitely not the case. Thereby we have an intermediate result: the positions a) and b) are mutually exclusive and demand a decision. On what can this be based? 2. The Reformed understanding of Scripture: call to return to the literal meaning of the Bible. It was a main aim of the Reformers to let the clear voice of the Word of God be heard again (claritas scripturae). They had to oppose the practice which had become widespread in Church history regarding exegesis. Instead of accepting the literal meaning of the text as being decisive, a manifold meaning of Scripture was sought. Thereby the door was open for all sorts of allegorizing, spiritualizing and interpretation. This led to changing Biblical truths which God had revealed through the writers of the Bible. To the protagonists of such spiritualization belonged the Church father Origen (185-254 A.D.), who Luther rightly criticized sharply later on. The Reformers opposed the allegorizing of Scripture with their central demand: the simple meaning of the Scriptures, the literal meaning, was valid. According to this, Biblical texts are to be interpreted as far as possible as their author originally intended them, and that again includes regard for the grammar, use of language, and consideration of the context. 3. The understanding of the Reformers where Israel is concerned. In view of this pre-condition, it is all the more surprising that the significant Reformers, when dealing with the question of Israel, did not hold fast to the literal meaning of the Bible. While Luther, in his early lectures on Romans (1515/16), assumed that at the end of time a large part of the Jewish people as an ethnic remAUGUST 2012 9
nant (a national collective) would be converted to Jesus, he later departed from this view. Calvin also interpreted Romans 11:2ff.in contrast to the literal meaning and contextas a fellowship of Jews and Gentiles which would come to faith in Jesus Christ during the course of the whole of Church history. This corresponded with his understanding of the one Church from the beginning of the world to the end. How could this dispossession of Israel and the transfer of her special promises to the Church come about? Certainly, the questions concerning the end times were not among the subjects that the Reformers paid the greatest attention to. The decisive theological battles were fought at that time in other fields, above all in the area of salvation: thus, the conflict concerning the doctrine of justification. In eschatology, the Reformers remained mostly in the position that the Church father Augustine (354430) had passed on to them. But even before him, in the second century, the early Church had begun to understand themselves to be the sole heir of the Israel promises (the Epistle of Barnabas, Justin Martyr). Origen, through his allegorical
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method, provided the tools with which the Israel passages of the Bible could be transferred to the Church later on. The Roman Catholic Church later defended her power and supposed election with all possible means. She had no interest at all in departing from the promises to Israel which had been adopted by the Church, nor the original addressee. In her present 1,000 year empire (Amillennialism!), Christ had long since ruled through the papacy. At least in the question of the millennium, the early Church in the first three hundred years of its existence still retained the Biblical substance and attempted to cling to a future kingdom. At the time of Augustine at the latest, the departure from the literal interpretation had become the dominant position of the Church. And the Reformers hadover 1,000 years after Augustineapparently neither the time nor the appropriate insight into the validity of these points to enforce their Reformed Scripture principle. Whoever calls upon the Reformation today has to go decisively beyond the Reformers in the Israel question and aspire to the literal meaning. Otherwise, they
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35; 37:12-26; Amos 9:11-15 (cf. also Jeremiah 16:15; 23:8; 24:6; 31:8, 23-34). Whoever studies these texts will find in them a clear promise of the living God to His chosen people Israel. The basis of the connection between salvation and the land is the promise to Abraham (Genesis 13:15; 17:6-8, etc.) This is unconditional, i.e. unconditionally valid and not connected with Israels obedience. How could God ever annul it? In the New Testament, this promise to Israel is taken up again and not revoked, not even through the emphasis of the unity of Jews and Gentiles within the Church (Ephesians 2:11ff.; Romans 11:1724). And when, for instance, James, in the Acts of the Apostles 15:15-20, quotes the end-times promise to Israel in Amos 9:1l-12, he is by no means maintaining that this has already been fulfilled within the Church. Rather, James shows with this quotation that Gods future plans with Israel have no disadvantage for the Gentiles. When God finally plants His people in the land in the future, then the Gentiles will also be blessed. Acts 15:15 corresponds with this, that we have no reason now to exclude the Gentiles
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remain stuck in a traditionalist confessionialism. 4. The literal meaning of prophetic texts. The Bible reader stands before a clear alternative. Am I prepared to let the texts speak for themselves, or do I read them through the filter of a certain theological system? Of course, no expositor can completely liberate himself from his preconceptions when he meets with a written testimony. And each of us tends to consider his own (hitherto) interpretation as the possibility which should appeal to all others. And yet the Word of God has continually proven its power to make itself understood and to prevail against misinterpretations, however strong they may be. Let us consider an example. The Old Testament connects the renewal of the heart of the people continually with her return to the land. Read, for instance, Ezekiel 36:24-28, 33-
being converted from the Church and to consider them second class Christians. In both cases (the future fulfillment of the promise to Amos and the present gathering of the Church), the same principle is operative: Gods blessings for Jews and Gentiles are not mutually exclusive but inclusive. In the New Testament, there is no text which would question the Old Testament promise for Israel. Rather, everything is moving toward the people, through their turning to Jesus Christ as the Messiah, coming to a complete fulfillment of all promises in the future. Numerous statements (e.g. Matthew 19:28; 23:37-39; Luke 21:24; 22:30; Acts 1:6, Romans 11:25-27) testify to the hope of Israel as being confirmed by Jesus Himself, and then by Paul. Jacob Thiessen has shown in his investigation how thoroughly the New Testament sources confirm an ultimate restoration of Israel (Israel and the Church, 2008). And Michael J. Vlach was able to prove in his dissertation that even where the New Testament completes the Old Testament promises and is applied to the current situation (e.g. Amos 9:11ff., in Acts 15:15ff.), this never occurs in such a way as to revoke
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the original literal meaning and to take it from Israel.4 It is, therefore, worth fighting for the literal interpretation in the Israel question. It is about nothing less than the faithfulness of the living God to the promises, who will not forsake the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:12; Deuteronomy 32:10). And it is about our faithfulness to the literal meaning of the Scriptures. Whoever departs from this to serve a theological system is in danger of doing it again and again. May God keep us from this!
L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 1969, p. 571.
1 2 (MR0512/518)
torical premillennialists.
Every dispensationalist is a premillennialist, but not vice versa. There are premil-
MIDNIGHT CALL
2 0 1 2 AT L A N T I C COA S T P R O P H E C Y CO N G R E S S
REGISTRATION/RESERVATION
Registration is $59 ($49 by 31 July) per person. As always, the registration fee is 100% refundable should you be hindered from attending the conference. Although the hotel offers over 400 rooms for your selection, they are available only on a first-come-first-serve basis. Therefore, we recommend that you make your reservations early.
2 0 1 2 AT L A N T I C COA S T P R O P H E C Y CO N G R E S S
MIDNIGHT CALL
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries U.S.A. and editor-in-chief of the criticallyacclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News from Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada and Israel. This is Americas first and only International Prophecy Congress. It is expected to be filled early.
Norbert Lieth
Govert Roos
Wilfred Hahn
Arno Froese
For the first time, we will have two Israeli believers, Irit Iffert and Jael Kalisher. They will bless us with their exceptional musical talents, compassionately presenting Hebrew Scripture songs, along with traditional and modern Christian music. But there is more good news: originating from the Netherlands, Govert Roos, who serves as music director at Midnight Call International Headquarters in Dbendorf, Switzerland, will bless us with his inspiring voice, contributing to the theme, When Light Meets Darkness.
CONGRESS REGISTRATION
2012 ATLANTIC COAST INTERNATIONAL PROPHECY CONGRESS
Mail to: Midnight Call P.O. Box 84309, Lexington, SC 29073
NFI0812
Registration Fee: $59 per person ($49 by 31 July) # in party: ______x $59 Total Registration $ ________________ # Banquet: ______x $35 Total for Banquet $ ________________ Total Enclosed $ ________________ Participants Name: Attending Banquet? 1._____________________________ Yes__ No__ 2._____________________________ Yes__ No__ 3._____________________________ Yes__ No__
o Check
CONGRESS SCHEDULE
Saturday, 20 October
Sunday, 21 October
Elia Morise Testimony to Islam: Part I
Break
Monday, 22 October
Norbert Lieth The Target of Eternal Light
Break
Irit Iffert, Jael Kalisher, Govert Roos Roger Liebi Are We Really in the Endtimes? Part I Arno Froese Darkness upon the Earth Wilfred Hahn Endtime Global Political Economies Irit Iffert, Jael Kalisher, Govert Roos Roger Liebi Are We Really in the Endtimes? Part II Norbert Lieth The Light of God in History Irit Iffert, Jael Kalisher, Govert Roos Elia Morise Testimony to Islam: Part II
Irit Iffert, Jael Kalisher, Govert Roos Elia Morise Testimony to Islam: Part III TBA Roger Liebi Are We Really in the Endtimes? Part III Irit Iffert, Jael Kalisher, Govert Roos Questions & Answers
14:45 15:15 18:30 19:00 19:45 20:15 Introduction/Welcome Arno Froese Darkness upon Israel Irit Iffert, Jael Kalisher, Govert Roos Wilfred Hahn Prophecys View on Geopolitical Darkness
Congress Banquet
Norbert Lieth Messianic Light Arno Froese When Light Meets Darkness
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MIDNIGHT CALL
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First, the bad news: Clean water is in very short supply across the globe. Now the good news: Amiad Water Systems, founded 50 years ago at a kibbutz near the Sea of Galilee, has built a successful business by providing solutions to this pressing problem. Amiads filtration and treatment technologies bring clean water to industries, households and farms in 70 countrieseven in remote areas such as Alaska, Antarctica, Siberia, Africa and Papua New Guinea. Earlier this year, the Israeli company got more good news in the
NEWS FROM ISRAEL
industry, says CEO Arik Dayan. Our product pipeline is bigger than it was last year at the same time because the company is always providing better and better solutions. Amiads main challenge is to convince contractors, municipalities and engineering companiestraditionally a very conservative marketthat investing in its filtration systems will save them money and energy, and will benefit Planet Earth in the process. We are selling long-lasting green solutions, says Dayan. The systems are compact, saving on valuable real estate, and they dont use chemicals to do their job. Many of them dont even require electricity. Among Amiads proprietary solutions is an automatically self-cleaning microfiber filter especially for drinking water. A weave-wire screen system and a grooved-disk polymer filter are options for other technology for clean water needs. We are looking to provide more solutions, and we have many more projects in the pipeline, says Dayan. -israle21c.org 4 June 2012
Water is a precious commodity, not only for Israel but also the entire Mideast, including North Africa. Other parts of the world such as Australia are also affected by water shortage. Although two-thirds of planet Earth is covered with water, it is salty and therefore useless for drinking or irrigation. Now the good news again comes from Israel; its called Amiad Water Systems, a company founded half a century ago on a kibbutz in Israel on the Sea of Galilee. Particularly Israels neighbors could greatly benefit from Israels know-how relating to water and agriculture, but the rejection of Israel by most of the Muslim nations is to their own disadvantage. Although this, among other systems, is very promising and will initially be extremely successful, water will continue to be a scarce commodity as the years go by. Prophetically speaking, the lack of water will be a form of judgment against Israels enemies, while there will be an abundance of water for the house of Judah, And it shall come to pass
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in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a deso-
late wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land (Joel 3:18-19). 4405
(For more on the problem of the Middle East, read The Coming Oil Storm, ITEM #2248.)
ISRAEL
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested the United States to approve the sale of advanced refueling aircraft as well as GBU-28 bunker-piercing bombs to Israel during a recent meeting with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, a top U.S. official said. During the administration of former U.S. President George Bush, the U.S. refused to sell bunker-penetrating bombs and refueling aircrafts to Israel, as a result of American estimates that Israel would then use them to strike Irans
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Obamas meeting with Netanyahu was the Syrian crisis. Netanyahu pointed out that Israel feared that chemical and biological weapons from Syrian army stockpiles could end up in the hands of Hezbollah or other terror groups. A top U.S. official indicated that the United States recently discussed the issue with Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, in an attempt to prepare for the possibility that a collapse of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad would endanger the countrys WMD stockpiles. Netanyahu and Obama also discussed the ongoing diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey. The United States feels that, amid ongoing unrest, that there existent a supreme interest to rehabilitate Jerusalem-Ankara ties. Obama told Netanyahu at the meeting that an effort should be exerted to reconcile between the two states. -www.haaretz.com 6 March 2012 This type of deep penetration bomb, experts believe, is intended for a possible attack on Irans nuclear research facilities. The Syrian Conflict adds to the potential use of these bunker-busting bombs the U.S. now appears willing to sell to Israel. However, we must point out that this report, including many others, is based on speculation. The past has taught that Israel acts totally independent when it comes to defending their territory and interest. One thing is sure; tension will increase due to the Syrian turmoil, and Israel cannot afford to stand by idle. Full-fledged war is not out of the question.
News In Brief
ALGAE FUEL
The young Israeli company Univerve plans to turn algae the green slimy microorganisms you skim from ponds and poolsinto the perfect third-generation biofuel. Algae is a good source of biofuel that does not compete with crops for food as does biofuel made from potatoes, sugarcane or corn. And it has a higher yield per acre over time without taking up precious farmland. -israel21c.org 13 June 2012
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News In Brief
APARTHEID STATE
The author of The Color Purple refused to authorize a Hebrew translation of her prize-winning work, citing what she called Israel's Apartheid state. In a letter to Yedioth Books, Alice Walker said she would not allow the publication of the book into Hebrew because Israel is guilty of apartheid and persecution of the Palestinian people, both inside Israel and also in the Occupied Territories. -virtualjerusalem.com 18 June 2012
Israel could become a potential and convenient scapegoat for Syrias near civil war. Israel, according to Scripture, is the center of the world. The events taking place in the Middle East, Europe, and the rest of the world, relate to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The issue is the Promised Land, defined geographically in the Bible as being from the river of Egypt to the river of Euphrates. Therefore, much of Syria is part of the Promised Land. Under the rulership of David, we read in 2 Samuel 8:6, Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went. That is history, but not the end; the prophet Amos concludes his book with these words, And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God (Amos 9:15). 4406
(For more on Israels position, read Middle East Meltdown, ITEM #2233.)
IRAN
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ried the story on its front page. Israel has made repeated threats to use force against Iran if it fails to respond to international sanctions and diplomacy regarding its nuclear program. However, according to the Iranian press reports, Firouzabadi claimed in his speech that Iran had reduced the threat of war with Israel due to the Islamic Republics deterrent power. The military leader added that apart from the occupiers of Jerusalem, who are already on death row, nobody else is whispering about war. The Zionist regime should listen to its leaders and stop their paranoia, the chief of staff said. -The Jerusalem Post 9 April 2012, pg. 2 While Iran continues to threaten Israel, Arab countries bordering Israel have learned their lesson during the 64 years of Israels existence, realizing that they have little to no chance of defeat-
ing Israel in an open military conflict. Iran is different. They are not Arabs and have a relatively high standard of education. Now they are producing rather sophisticated weaponry and, according to reports, are in the process of building nuclear weapons. One of the most used words by the Iranians against Israel is Zionism. That, however, is the point where Irans mistake lies, because Zionism is identical with Jerusalem and Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Zechariah 1:14-15 reads, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction. 4409
(For more on the prophet Zechariah, read Zechariahs Prophetic ITEM #1052.)
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of how the First Temple was built, the university announced. Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, the Yigal Yadin Professor of Archeology at the university, displayed models of items excavated in Khirbet Qeiyafa, a fortified city in the Valley of Elah, about 30 km. southwest of Jerusalem. The religious community, which Garfinkel believes was Jewish, based on the lack of pig bones and graven images, kept small shrines in rooms of three buildings. The small ritual objects are box-like in shape and made from basalt or clay. The shrines predate the First Temple by at least 30 years, but utilize important architectural designs written in the Torah that describe how the Temple should be built. The discovery of these ritual objects has allowed archeologists a new understanding of the Temples construction, explained Garfinkel. The practice of having shrines in homes is described in II Samuel,
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Chapter 6: He brought the Ark of God from a private house in Kiryat Yearim and put it in Jerusalem in a private house. Khirbet Qeiyafa was a border city in the Kingdom of Judah opposite the Philistine city of Gath. Oxford University used carbon dating methods on 10 burned olive pits to conclude the city existed for a short time between 1020 and 980 BCE and was violently destroyed. Unlike similar Canaanite and Philistine cities from the same period, no graven images of humans, gods, or animals were discovered at the site. Additionally, there were no pig bones among the debris of sheep, cattle and goat bones. These facts, coupled with the organization of the buildings in the Roman manner consistent with other Jewish cities, led Garfinkel to conclude that the settlement was most likely Jewish or practiced Judaic values such as monotheism. Khirbet Qeiyafa is also the site of the oldest discovered Hebrew inscription, which was found in 2008. A stone inscription bears the Hebrew Al TaasDont do though the rest of the inscription is unclear.
Doctoral student Michael Freikman, who was part of the group that excavated the site, said two of the shrines were discovered on the last day of the dig, in July 2011. Thats the law of archeology, you always find the most important things on the last day, he said. -The Jerusalem Post 9 May 2012, pg. 7 Although much is written about the Temple, how it was constructed, what measurements it had, etc., no one really knows exactly how the Temple looked. Furthermore, nothing of great significance has ever been recovered from the Temple. Muslim scholars have taken this fact into consideration when claiming there never was a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This is not surprising, because the Temple was the visible manifestation of the unique identity of the Jewish people. During Jesus time, the disciples pointed out the glorious Temple, but the Lord answered, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down (Matthew 24:2). That is actually what happened; not one stone was even found that belonged to the glorious temple of Solomon. This is a prophetic picture of the new Temple, the spiritual one, the Body of Christ. It consists of lively stones: believers who are born again of the Spirit of God, but are not visibly manifested to the world. There is no address, no phone number, nor description of the true Church on earth. It is hidden among the multitudes of people the world
News In Brief
IRON DOME UPGRADE The IAFs Aerial Defense Formation is already working on additional developments and improvements to the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system, the IAF Website revealed. The next stage of the Iron Dome will include advances in interception capabilities, and will respond to a wider range of threats. Col. Ben-Bocher explained that the original Iron Dome system was developed under severe time constraints, and that this made it necessary to leave some fixes and improvements for later. These improvements are being made now. -virtualjerusalem.com 17 June 2012
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News In Brief
GAS TESTS POSITIVE The Israeli partners in the Leviathan gas and oil exploration licenseAvner Oil and Gas LP, Delek Drilling LP, and Ratio Oil Exploration (1992) LPtoday notified the TASE that the production tests at the Leviathan 1 well have been completed and that the quantity of petroleum produced in the target strata is 71.1 million cubic feet of natural gas and 93 barrels of condensate. Ratio told Globes that the results were excellent and that the natural gas flow was fairly smooth (i.e. without complications). -virtualjerusalem.com 18 June 2012
over. That is the Temple Jesus was speaking about, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands (Mark 14:58). It is the Church of Jesus Christ, the spiritual Temple the Apostle Peter later speaks of, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5). The search for artifacts dating back to the First Temple will continue. Even the smallest pebble will be carefully examined, yet the earthly Temple has been done away with and the new Temple is almost complete. Based on our understanding of these Scriptures, when the spiritual Temple is removed from the earth (Rapture), then the time has come for the Temple built of stone to be resurrected in Jerusalem, but not before. 4410
(For more on this subject, read Why Jerusalem Is Jewish, ITEM #1070.)
IRAN
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the nuclear-powered craft. Adm. Zamini says Iran has developed peaceful nuclear technology and has both the capability and the right to build a submarine. Iran and the West are at odds over Tehrans nuclear program. The U.S. suspects it is aimed at developing weapons technology, a charge Iran denies. Iran has domestically built several small submarines over the past years. It has recently overhauled one of the three non-nuclear Russian Kilo-class submarines it bought in the 1990s. -www.haaretz.com 12 June 2012 Irans public declaration about plans for a nuclear submarine, seems to be aimed at Israels possible surprise attack on their nuclear facilities. Its odd that Iran
declares Israel to be its worst enemy, while in reality, Israel has never done harm to Iran and has no intention to eradicate Iran from the map, as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has declared to do with Israel. We see here the dark powers in the invisible world at work. Such was the case about 2,500 years ago, when a messenger from God was to answer Davids prayer. We read, The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days. (Daniel 10:13). It is not Islam, nor Ahmadinejad, but the powers of darkness desperately attempting to hinder the prophetic Word from being proclaimed to Israel. 4413
(For more on this subject, #2211.) read Judgment Day!, ITEM
USA
Our idea with the GCTF was to bring together a limited number of traditional donors, front line states, and emerging powers to develop a more robust, yet representative, counterterrorism capacity-building platform. A number of our close partners with considerable experience countering and preventing terrorism are not included among the GCTFs founding members, a State Department spokesman said in response to questions about Israels exclusion from the GCTF . We have discussed the GCTF and ways to involve Israel in its activities on a number of occasions, and are committed to making this happen, he added. Pro-Israeli sources say that the Obama administration decided to ignore the fact that Turkey, which has a key role in the GCTF , opposes calling Hamas a terrorist organization, even though the State Department lists it as such. -www.israelnationalnews.com 10 June 2012
No other country in the world has more experience fighting terrorism than Israel. The nation has been threatened by terrorism from within and without. Statistics from 2001-2007 show 1,219 people killed and 8,342 wounded, due to terrorist activity. In 2008, terrorists claimed 220 Israeli lives. That number went down to 3 in 2007, primarily due to Israels expertise in counter-terrorism. Now the Counterterrorism Forum has blocked Israels participation. This deliberate exclusion shows once again Israels uniqueness, as confirmed by the Gentile prophet Balaam, For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations (Numbers 23:9). 4416
(For more on Israels predicament, read #2228.) Nations United, ITEM
CHINA
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Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mumbai, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Israel, Britain and the United States. Limmud, the open Jewish learning program, has held events in some 60 communities on five continents. Sessions at the China event included Torah and Talmud text study; the role of women in Jewish community life; Chinese interest in Jews and Jewish communities; the history of the Bene Israel in India; the future of Jewish life in Asia, and a workshop on Asian-Jewish cooking. There are an estimated 20,000 Jews living in East Asia. In China, up to 6,000 Jews live on the mainland and 4,000 Jews live in Hong Kong. Asia is made up both of longstanding, organized Jewish communities like those in India, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, and newer smaller communities comprised largely of business people and diplomats. Many Jewish organizations are active in Asia, and the China Limmud was supported by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. This inaugural Limmud event in China is a powerful tribute to the
determination of Jews throughout Asia to engage with Jewish learning and with the Jewish community, overcoming vast distances and other hurdles, said Limmud International Co-Chair Helena Miller. -www.virtualjerusalem.com 3 June 2012 Limmud is a British-Jewish educational charity which holds a large annual winter conference and several other events around the year on the theme of Jewish learning. Limmud comes from the Hebrew word for learning, and is meant to reflect the goal of the organization. While this movement is not causing much attention, we believe its prophetically significant. The Bible makes it clear that the Jews will become nation number one in the world, and from Jerusalem, global law will be issued. It stands to reason, then, that an infrastructure must be built, and Limmud (learning) is part of the establishment of such required infrastructure, even in communist China.
AUGUST 2012
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MIDNIGHT CALL
ecently, in my morning Bible reading, Ezekiel 12:27 stuck out, Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. That was written some 2,600 years ago. Israel at that time was assuming that prophecy and its fulfillment lay in the future. As a matter of fact, the overwhelming majority of Churchianity does not recognize that Israel today is part of the progressive fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Many have accepted the Replacement Theology, whereby the Church has inherited all the promises of the Old Testament instead of literal Israel. Other groups say yes to the fulfill-
One of his children, a 35-year-old son, had died of a heart attack. He said, No one can empathize with you in that situation. That was my opening to talk to him about Jesus, so I said, I know someone who only had one son, and He gave Him at the age of 33 to save us. The man asked, Who are you talking about?
Egypt. Due to the unrest in that country, he had to return home earlier than planned. I called this Jewish man and passed along greetings from the friend who gave me his number. Based on his voice, I estimated him to be about 65 years old. He spoke Arabic well. At first he was a little careful, because he could hear that I am Egyptian, but once I mentioned the name of the friend who gave me his number, he became very friendly and we had a great conversation. About halfway through the phone call, I asked him about his family. With a broken voice, he told me that hed recently had a sad experience. One of his children, a 35-year-old son, had died of a heart attack. He said, No one can empathize with you in that situation. That was my opening to talk to him about Jesus, so I said, I know someone who only had one son, and He gave Him at the age of 33 to save us. The man asked, Who are you talking about? Of course I was talking about our loving Father, who gave his only son Jesus Christ to the world. Then he asked me, Why did he do that? To answer him, I quoted the verse in John 10:10: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. He said, I dont have such a faith, but I think you are right. I encouraged him to read the New Testament, and he said, I have one. Someone in Egypt gave it to me, and I promise you to read it. Very politely, I asked if I could pray with him over the phone, and he agreed. After the prayer, he invited me to come and see him with my family. Then we could take a nice tour. I promised to see him on my next visit, to spend some time together. Please pray for this man. Pray for Joshua and his family, that they may receive comfort from God. May the Lord open his heart and move into it through the words of the New Testament. MC
Elia Morise will be speaking at the Atlantic Coast Prophecy Congress on October 20-22.
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Chapters 24 & 25 of the book of Matthew have given birth to numerous doctrinal stances. Largely those doctrinal statements have revolved around eschatological issues.
The Olivet Discourse took place only a few days before Jesus death, and is one of the most important prophetic speeches in Scripture.
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This passage teaches us how we can properly order the coming events and pass on what we have learned.
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