1) The controversy of Israel in Gaza
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do(Hebrews 4:12-13 )
The nations of the world are engaged in arguments about the treatment of Israel. Many seem to be declaring that Israel should be forced to stop fighting, and release the Palestinians. It seems that they regard a two-state solution as the answer even if it opens the path for further aggression against the Jews and the reduction of Israels’ right to its ancient and Divinely Promised homeland.
The history of the Jews may not be familiar to all people today but we will give a short explanation of its history. Up until the period of the Roman Empire Israel had been subject to invasions by other nations and a seventy year captivity by Babylon, but was always known as Israel and occupied by Jews who had Laws and commandments and that had to be obeyed and they had to remain faithful and obedient to their God. Who had promised the land to their Fathers Abraham. Isaac and Jacob.
Yahweh’s Commannds to Israel-Do that which is right and good in the sight of Yahweh
Thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of Yahweh that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which Yahweh sware unto thee. To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as Yahweh hath spoken.
And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Yahweh our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: And Yahweh shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. (Deuteronomy 6:18-23 [KJV)
This was the land of Israel promised and given to Israel.
These verses reveal important aspects of the relationship that the God of Israel has with his chosen people of Israel. There are laws and commandments that his people must obey. And he has given them the Land that we have known as Israel for thousands of years and which was promised to their fathers Abraham. Isaac and Jacob . One of their Laws which is cited above states “ cast out all thne enemies from before thee” The other important fact is that the land had been promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This promise has never been broken and still remains. Israel has had a long existence and history before it was invaded by the Romans.
The Romans invaded Israel and in AD 70 drove the Jews from their homeland renamed their homeland Palestine to destroy the Jews association to the land and to Israel. The Bible records the reasons why the Jews would be driven into other nations. (It should be noted here that there has never been a people nor a country named Palestine. It has been adopted by the Arabs.)
I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. Then shall they know that I am Yahweh when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed. (Ezekiel 33:28-29)
Jeremiah also wrote :
Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths [To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity. (Jeremiah 18:15-17)
There are also many prophecies that state that the Jews would in the last days return to their homeland. Amos wrote:
Behold, the eyes of Yahweh are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith Yahweh. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.
Desolation of the land and the purging of the people would be followed by the restoration of the
land and the return of the residue of the people as we can see today to their rightful homeland.
We read further in Amos
In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith Yahweh that doeth this.
Behold, the days come, saith Yahweh, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 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 Yahweh thy God. (Amos 9:8-15)
These quotations explain why Yahweh’s people who were given the land of Israel promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were scattered because of their faithlessness and disobedieence in worshipping other gods. However a remnant would be saved and eventually be returned to their homeland, and, the land and ruins would be restored. There would be restoration of the land following the desolation of the land of Israel In the 1900’s Jews began to return to Israel.
Desolation as seen by 19th century visitors to Palestine
There are many 19th century first hand accounts of the desolation left by invaders of the Land after the Roman period.
For instance in 1835 Alphonse de Lamartine wrote that “Outside the city of Jerusalem we saw no living object, heard no living sound...a complete eternal silence reigns in the town, in the highways, in the country.” In 1844 William Makepeace Thackeray wrote, “The district is quite deserted...you ride among what seem to be so many petrified waterfalls. We saw no animals...scarcely a dozen little birds in the whole course of the ride”. <
In 1867 Mark Twain wrote: “A desolation is here that not even imagination can grace...hardly a tree or shrub anywhere....of all lands there are for dismal scenery, I think Palestine must be the prince...sorrowful and despondent”. Another described the land as “denuded, desertified, depopulated, barren, desolate wasteland”
Prophecy was being fulfilled: a people scattered, desolation of the landand return of the people.
The land was a desolate and down trodden wasteland until the early 20th century when Jews long persecuted began to return to the land
'Palestine', so named by the Romans to destroy the association of the land to Israel, had been a part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire and the land had been down trodden for hundreds of years by many invaders. The land was the historic homeland of the Jews until they were driven out by the Romans in AD70. However a remnant of Jews had continuously lived in the land following the Roman period. Before 1948 following 400 years of Ottoman neglect, Palestine, as named by the Romans, was a downtrodden wasteland, with a small poverty stricken population living in dreadful conditions. From 1948, into Israel came Jewish refugees, including many orphans, out of persecution. They were from many European countries and languages. Those already living in Israel included earlier Jewish refugees of the nineteenth century, from persecution in Russia and Europe. Local Arabs were mainly recent immigrants from Syria (eg Abbas’ family), Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt (eg Arafat’s family). Added to these were Arabs, who had not fled in 1948, (almost 40% were Christians, and there were Druzes, Bedouins and Muslims, placed there by Turkey from Eastern Europe. There were NO Palestinians. The Arab population had increased under a family reunion scheme and by infiltrators who were allowed to remain.
The Balfour Declaration of 1917 envisaged the Land as a homeland for Palestinian Jews. In 1922 the League of Nations entrusted Britain with the Palestinian Mandate. As a result of the Mandate, and the UK’s failure in its implementation, the Jews managed to acquire a mere 18% of the mandated territory and had suffered wars started by the surrounding Arab nations, which by miracle they won.
The British gave the Arabs Trans-Jordan and in 1948 Trans-Jordan illegally invaded and took Jerusalem and the West Bank, and became known as Jordan. The Jews were driven out of Jordan. The Palestinians were given Gaza in 2010 which gave the Palestinians (Arabs over 77% 0f the original Mandate and thus had far more territory than the Jews
It is written that the Jews would dwell on the mountains of Israel
For thus saith Yahweh; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. (Ezekiel 34:11-13)
Gaza was given to the so called Palestinians by Israel in 2010 as they forcibly removed all Jews in 'disengagement'. How were the Jews treated in return by these Arabs? Gaza became a base from which to send missiles into Israel, a place in which to store munitions, a place from which tunnels were built from which Israel could be invaded and buildings for storage of weaponry. Now some nations are calling for a Two State Solution to divide off the remaining part of Judea and Samaria and create another Arab state. If Gaza has been a place from which Israel is invaded and attacked, what would thinking people envisage? The final extermination of the Jews!
It is here we turn to Hebrews 4 which we began this article with and the words of our all powerful Creator, that the word of God is sharper than any twoedged sword cutting to the thoughts and intents of the heart! Yahweh Elohim long before wrote of the evil thoughts of anti-semitism that we see today!!
The end of Anti-Semitism prophesied - Glory to God!
And in this year 2024 of anti Semitism, the Bible makes clear the situation. When the nation has been purged they would return to their own land, to the mountains of Israel. To Judea and Samaria. Israel is Yahweh’s land and promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Those who would take this land are warned :
Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of Yahweh: Thus saith the Lord Yaheh; Because the enemy hath said against you, “Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession: Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord Yahweh; Because they have made you desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye
might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people:
Was this the betrayal of Britain in giving large areas of the land to the Arabs? And was it also the designs and wars of the Arabs against the Jews after 1948?. Israel has only about 18% of its ancient homeland.
“Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of Yahweh; Thus saith Yahweh to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes, and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about;
Therefore thus saith Yahweh; A powerfully worded prophecy follows concerning those who would destroy his chosen people.
Surely in the fire of my jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen, and against all Idumea, which have appointedy my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey. prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord Yahweh; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen:...; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame. ...
But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am Yahweh. Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.
Thus saith the Lord Yahweh; Because they say unto you, “Thou land devourest up men, and hast bereaved thy nations;” Therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord Yahweh Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord Yahweh.
Moreover the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying, Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of Yahweh, and are gone forth out of his land.
But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith Yahwwh I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am Yahweh, saith Yahweh, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them and shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.
Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Yahweh, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord Yahweh; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.
And they shall say,
This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am Yahweh. (Ezekiel 36:1-38)
We conclude as we began:
Our Creator is powerful. His purpose will be accomplished and His enemies will be punished.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:12-13)
