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The Total Polarization of the Government

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party—together have won every United States presidential election since 1852 and controlled the United States Congress since 1856. Since most political issues are two-sided, one party is generally for something and the other opposes it.

A few decades ago, Democrats and Republicans worked together on many issues. On July 30, 2014, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4810, known as the Veterans Access to Care Act of 2014. The bill, co-sponsored by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Arizona Senator John McCain, passed the House on a vote of 420-5. When the United States declared war on Japan, only one person voted against it.

Today it has become common to have votes that completely follow along party lines. The House recently passed a resolution that directs the House Homeland Security and House Judiciary panels to examine any evidence of wrongdoing related to the president’s immigration policies. It was approved because 219 Republicans outvoted 208 Democrats.

During the Trump years, the Democrats had control of the House, and they did several things that were politically motivated. Now that the Republicans have a majority, they clearly plan to perform similar stunts.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a censure vote against California Rep Adam Schiff, which was a rebuke of a vocal Trump critic by the House Republican majority. Years ago, it would be a significant rebuke of a member of Congress. Today it is seen as a badge of honor.

As House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) tried to read out the resolution, House Democrats, gathered on the floor in solidarity with Schiff, repeatedly shouted him down.

They chanted “shame!” and cheered Schiff, jeering at McCarthy as a “spiteful coward” and “weak.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called for him to be ousted. One Republican shouted back, “Jack***es!”

The House of Representatives approved a resolution referring articles of impeachment against President Biden to two committees. The resolution directs the House Homeland Security and House Judiciary panels to examine any evidence of wrongdoing related to the president’s immigration policies. It was approved 219-208 along party lines.

There is zero chance of getting enough votes to convict Biden in the Senate. I don’t see any indication that Republicans share the fondness for political theater that the left enjoys.

I think the best idea in Republican circles is a vote to dissolve Trump’s previous two impeachments. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he supports the idea of expunging the impeachments of Donald Trump as Republican allies of the former president introduce a pair of proposals to declare it as though the historic charges never happened.

McCarthy told reporters that he agrees with Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Elise Stefanik, who want to erase the charges against Trump from the former president’s impeachments of 2019 and 2021.

“I think it is appropriate,” said McCarthy, the Republican from California. “Just as I thought before — that you should expunge it because it never should have gone through.”

The political divide can really be seen in the Supreme Court. Justices are there to simply vote if something is constitutional or not. The change in the political environment has caused the conservative court to strike down a series of rulings that liberals hold dear.

I like the recent rulings, but I think there is a great danger to the nation in the long run. When Ruth Bader Ginsburg became a Supreme Court candidate, everyone knew she had a leftist background. The vote to make her an Associate Justice was 96-3 because there was still a vestige of civility in the Senate.

Even during the Clarence Thomas fiasco, he still managed to have 11 Democrats vote for him. When Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 2020, it quickly became apparent that she was an excellent Justice. The vote was straight down party lines.

My biggest fear is what will happen when the Democrats gain full control of the government. It was as recent as 2016 that they had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. If this was today, the Democrats would pack the Supreme Court, suspend all voting rules in the Senate, and they would remove Republican members by vote.

If people love power more than truth and our nation, tyranny will eventually prevail. We could have a dictator come from both parties because most despots come to power under the promise of saving the country from the opposition.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 ESV).

–Todd

Last Days Hurricane

Deadly winds are beginning to blow. Not the literal type of wind, but wind like that prophesied by Jesus for the last of the last days of the age before the Tribulation’s beginning.

Jesus foretold the following upon being asked what would be the sign of His coming.

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:25).

While we observe how near we are to the midnight hour of human history, this foretelling by the Lord is front and center. It is most prominent in view with the current snapshot of the land, which some believe the future Antichrist rules at present.

It is hard to fathom how this fellow could be that future ruler of most of the world –destined to be worshipped. He certainly is not worshipped at present by the people of France.

While he attended an Elton John concert, one of his chief cities as well as others was, like Nero’s Rome –burning. He apparently stayed at the concert despite knowledge that Marseille was on fire.

France has increasingly become known as a nation in which chaos and anarchy are out of control. President Emmanuel Macron, if not oblivious to the carnage, certainly hasn’t seemed until very recent days to consider things serious enough to crack down full force on those perpetrating the riotous damage.

Jesus’ words about the seas and waves roaring are interpreted by many top scholars to mean the seas of humanity being in extraordinary tumult at the time Christ is on the verge of returning.

The winds stirring the seas and waves in that regard have reached hurricane status in Macron’s nation, it would seem. The following frames conditions as of this writing.

President Macron was last night facing calls to impose a state of emergency after marauding gangs of rioters – some armed with stolen rifles – clashed with police in a fourth night of mayhem resulting in nearly 1,000 arrests.

Looters ransacked some of France’s major cities as local police declared they were now at ‘war’ with ‘savage hordes of vermin’ – with officers from two of the country’s biggest policing unions now threatening to revolt.

Britain’s Foreign Office issued an alert to tourists thinking of travelling to France, as the violence continued to deepen following the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, who was ‘executed’ by French police during a traffic stop on Tuesday.

The teenager’s funeral is being held today against the backdrop of large parts of France being engulfed by fires, violence and devastating riots, with police reporting 994 arrests overnight…

There were more than 3,800 fires on public roads last night, while more than 500 buildings were set alight.

Emmanuel Macron green-lit the use of armoured vehicles and riot police, as 45,000 officers were deployed in a desperate attempt to regain control. But the French president has been blasted for not acting fast enough.

[France on red alert: Macron faces calls to impose ‘state of emergency’ after marauding gangs with GUNS are seen rampaging in Marseille and police HQ is ransacked in fourth night of chaos, By George Iddenden and Arthur Parashar and Peter Allen In Paris, Daily Mail Online Published: 18:40 EDT, 30 June 2023, Updated: 04:06 EDT, 1 July 2023]

It would seem that this candidate for becoming the prophesied world’s most powerful dictator –according to some– has some distance to go in attaining the abilities which Bible prophecy predicts that man of sin will possess. He has the name that is most interesting. It might be a moniker appropriate for the Antichrist, but that seems to be the extent of his potential for achieving that level of infamy.

I probably shouldn’t be so facetious in tone in making that statement. Who knows? The man whose name means “God with us” might yet be the guy the new world order sort is looking for to implement their Great Reset plans.

One thing is sure; Macron is in the middle of what is becoming a full-blown humanity-generated hurricane across his country and the world. We who observe developments believe we sense such a human sea and waves roaring that is indicative of Christ’s answer to His disciples that day while sitting atop the Mount of Olives.

America has, in the recent past, endured weeks and even months of destructive such winds as such perpetrators as Black Lives Matter and Antifa have reeked. With the society and culture in such a tumultuous and divided condition, and with deliberate efforts to stir wickedness, the hurricane of Luke 21:25 is almost upon this generation.

This all means, of course, that the same Lord who gave that seas and waves roaring prophecy will soon fulfill the following prophecy, through which He also promised believers great hope and comfort.

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

–Terry

Where Was David’s Palace?

From time to time, I’ll take a break here from writing about current events in and about Israel. History and culture are interesting topics, as well. So it is I want to talk about another archaeological topic this week.

It’s in the news, anyway.

Only in the last several years have the Israelis been serious about excavating a section just across the street from Jerusalem’s Old City walls. The site goes all the way down a long hill and winds up in the Palestinian village of Silwan. Archeologists believe this site is the famous palace of King David, 3,000 years ago.

It’s quite an impressive place, although you really have to let your mind’s eye even begin to understand what you’re looking at. Incidentally, the area is also across a small street and a temporary white privacy fence, enclosing the fortress of Antiochus Epiphanes—also just recently discovered…under a parking lot!

David’s palace is now a major tourist attraction, named “The City of David.” I have the green ballcap to prove it. I was there a few weeks ago, as many of you know. Annually now, 400,000 people tour the ancient site. By the way, it’s very easy to see, at the summit, how David could have looked down the hill at Bathsheba.

All the way down the hill is the Gihon Spring (looks like a big ol’ mudhole!) and Hezekiah’s tunnel, created to bring water in during the Assyrian siege in the 8^th century B.C.

There has been a lot of speculation for decades as to whether David existed or not (what could be called an extreme “minimalist” position), and if he did, where was the great kingdom we read about in the Bible?

I recently read an article by an archaeologist that had a very good answer to this question. Of late, archaeologists like Israel Finkelstein have taken quasi-minimalist positions by saying yes, such a figure probably existed. He just wasn’t the glorious leader we think he was. Often, the “evidence” for such a position is that we don’t in fact find massive ancient structures around Israel.

But the article I mentioned explains that nicely. He basically said that a kingdom in that region, in that time period, would not have had such gigantic structures. At least not like we see in Egypt or even Babylon. Instead, King David could certainly have been everything the Bible says he was, and ruled from less-than-impressive buildings. The culture of the ancient Israelites was simply not ostentatious. Interestingly, Israelis today are famous for their lack of pretension. Even in the Knesset, it’s fairly rare to see a suit. Mostly open-collar attire.

In any event, the City of David is impressive. It commands a high view of the surrounding area below, and the extensive stone walls are anything but small.

I’m almost surprised that Christianity Today magazine has given a fairly positive view of David as a real king, in a June article. A very interesting comment comes near the end of the article:

“’If you don’t have David, you don’t have a lot of things,’ [Michael, of Southern Adventist University] Hasel said. David is mentioned around 1,000 times in the Bible. He’s credited as the author of 73 psalms. His history is tied with Jerusalem becoming Israel’s capital and the site of the temple. And through the line of David, the Messiah is promised.

“’Without David, that is all put into question,’ Hasel said. ‘He is a very significant figure not only for Israel but for the history of Christianity and Judaism. They all draw their identity back to that one person.’”

Herein lies a problem for the Church, specifically the American Church. Did you catch what Hasel said? In effect, he’s saying that if biblical figures like David were not real, then that calls into question the Messiah Himself, since He is from the line of David. On a broader scale, people well understand that if, say, Genesis is not real history, then why are you talking to me about Jesus? Did He exist? What about the Resurrection? The Atonement?

Hasel is exactly correct.

Meanwhile, a Popular Mechanics article had this gem:

“According to a new report from archaeologist Yosef Garfinkel, the biblical King David had a true kingdom. But not everyone agrees that was the case, as bickering continues over a debate that has become part politics, part theology, and part archaeology.

“In a new peer-reviewed article published in the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology, the Hebrew University professor writes that ‘the earliest fortified sites in the kingdom of Judah in the early 10^th century BCE feature a casemate city wall lined with abutting belt of houses.’ Urban planning seen across multiple sites connected by roads shows that five cities were connected to Jerusalem, all dated by Garfinkel to the time of King David.

“’If you take all these sites, they have the same urban concept, they are all sitting on the border of the kingdom and sitting where you have a main road leading to the kingdom,’ he tells the Times of Israel. ‘These cities aren’t located in the middle of nowhere, it’s a pattern of urbanism with the same urban concept.’”

Very interesting.

In other words, if a person has a bias that says the Bible is largely myth, he or she will overlook certain evidences. If one is at least open-minded, compelling evidence springs forth.

I believe David existed. I believe every detail about him in the Bible. An objective person will see that the Bible confirms his existence, as well as archaeological evidence.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

10 Jul 2023

10 Jul 2023