Articles

ICEJ USA announces ‘Christian Declaration Against Antisemitism’ amid rising attacks on Jews & anti-Israel protests worldwide
Declaration recognizes antisemitism as incompatible with biblical values and US law. The United States arm of the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem (ICEJ) on Tuesday launched a document intended as a unified statement by Christians against the rising tide of antisemitism and anti-Israel violence in the U.S. and around the world.

Understanding the global conspiracy against the Jews: An urgent lecture on Anti-Zionism
But this is not just a lecture; it is the launch event for a groundbreaking academic initiative aimed at confronting this issue head-on. Dr. Pessin will officially introduce the Institute for the Critical Study of Anti-Zionism, an institution dedicated to documenting, analyzing, and combating the global campaign of anti-Zionist rhetoric that has contributed to widespread discrimination and violence against Jews.

More Tax on Tips: Blue States Undercutting New Federal Tax Cuts
Filthy, vile, and disgusting. And I would add: reprehensible, repulsive, and rebarbative. These words perfectly describe the latest Democrat scheme to shaft industrious, economically embattled Americans, all so that the Left can get President Donald Trump. There are no depths too low for Democrats to dig to hurt this president. They were at Sub-basement Level 14 and have now jackhammered their way to Sub-basement Level 15.

Dolphins in Copenhagen for the first time
Dolphins were seen in Copenhagen harbor on Monday, which was the first time in the Danish capital. And that’s not all. There was a female dolphin with a calf swimming around in Copenhagen’s southern harbor.

House will not vote on extending expiring Obamacare subsidies
The Republican-led House will not vote on a measure extending Obamacare enhanced subsidies that expire in two weeks. Speaker Mike Johnson said efforts were made to hold the vote, but it didn’t work out in the end. Johnson’s announcement infuriated moderate Republicans who had been pushing to go on the record about the subsidies.

Hamas pushes for new round of ceasefire talks, amid growing mistrust of US
Hamas sources said the group remains uncertain whether Washington had prior knowledge of the operation or whether US officials view it as a breach of the ceasefire, which has been in effect for roughly two months. The initiative comes despite continued frustration within the terror organization over what it describes as inconsistent US messaging surrounding the killing of Raad Saad, Hamas’ second-in-command in Gaza.

‘Nahariya get ready’: Banner displaying Hezbollah threat mounted in Tehran’s Palestine Square
The Iranian regime placed a new banner in Tehran’s Palestine Square threatening Israel’s northern city of Nahariya, according to photos shared online. The banner, which reads “For the next war, Nahariya be prepared,” features images of Hezbollah. The banner has been named, “Another defeat awaits you in Lebanon,” according to Iranian media.

Turkey not invited to Gaza peacekeeping force talks in Qatar, source tells ‘Post’
Turkey was not invited to a Tuesday conference organized by US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Qatar regarding the International Stabilization Force (ISF) that is set to be deployed in the Gaza Strip Mid-level officials from 32 countries attended the meeting, where they discussed key elements of the force’s potential deployment, including command structure, rules of engagement, locations within Gaza, and the force’s role in disarming Hamas.

After Bondi Attack, the West Must Face the Reality of ‘Migration Jihad’
“They don’t move from the Arab world to Europe. They move the Arab world to Europe.” the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, was attacked. The massacre only confirmed his words.

Iranian regional influence ‘extremely negative’ and a ‘source of instability,’ says Lebanese FM
Iran’s role is “extremely negative” and its regional policies are among the “chief sources of instability” in Lebanon and across the Middle East, … Iran’s terror proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, “brought [Israeli] occupation onto Lebanese territory” and its weapons “must be handed over to the Lebanese state” before the end of the year, the diplomat wrote.“By the end of 2025, the area south of the Litani River must be free of all illegal weapons, and by the end of 2026, the Lebanese Armed Forces must have completed the process of confining all weapons to the state across the entire Lebanese territory,”

Even Hitler Knew When The War Was Lost—But Instead Of Accepting Defeat, Hamas Is Digging In
Before taking his own life on April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler appointed Admiral Karl Dönitz, commander of Germany’s U-boat fleet, as his successor. Hitler knew that World War II was lost and betrayal among his leadership surrounded him. He turned to Dönitz, a man he regarded as disciplined, loyal, and untainted by the corruption of the Nazi inner circle, to defend what remained of the collapsing Reich. Instead, when Hitler died, Dönitz accepted reality: The Nazis were beaten. Eight decades later, another Jew-hating ideology faces collapse. Hamas seems determined to preserve its political and military grip on Gaza, perpetuating an ideology of hatred and martyrdom.

Welcome To The Brave New World: Who Needs God In An Age Of Artificial Intelligence?
Most people have no idea what’s coming. In fact, what is here now. Very few people comprehend the level of mischief and evil that surrounds what is called artificial intelligence (A.I.).

Does The Bondi Beach Massacre Prove Liberal Governments Love Mass Shootings?
Without fail, anytime there is a mass shooting event or an assassination leftist officials and the media immediately jump to the accusation that the “right wing” must somehow be involved. If there’s no evidence of such involvement, they simply lie and accuse conservatives anyway (as we witnessed with the assassination of Charlie Kirk).

Zelensky, Merz Hail NATO-Style US Security Guarantees As ‘Real Progress’ In Peace Deal
During the couple days of meetings in Berlin, US officials have said there’s consensus from Ukraine and Europe on about 90% of the Trump-proposedd peace plan. It could be finalized within days in order to present to the Kremlin,

FDA Not Adding ‘Black Box’ Warning To COVID-19 Vaccines: Commissioner
The Food and Drug Administration is not adding “black box” warnings to COVID-19 vaccines, even though an agency center recommended it, FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said on Dec. 15

Ilhan Omar changed her birth year—former congressional candidate explains the evidence
“Congress has a job to monitor their own, and that’s what they should do,” said AJ Kern, whose video on Ilhan Omar was recently shared by the president. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar continues to face mounting scrutiny as President Donald Trump has recently called her immigration status into question—and White House Border Czar Tom Homan has confirmed that she is being investigated for potential immigration fraud. But one woman has been raising red flags about Rep. Omar, pointing out critical details about her age, naturalization, and immigration status that have been overlooked and ignored for years, she says.

Record snow, winds, and blizzards leave over 35,000 homes without power in Hokkaido
Record snow and winds struck Hokkaido, Japan, overnight November 14–15, 2025, and left tens of thousands without power. A rapidly intensifying low-pressure system brought heavy snow and strong winds, creating blizzard-like conditions in Hokkaido on Monday.

Trump orders blockade on Venezuelan oil tankers, escalating pressure on Maduro regime
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has ordered a blockade preventing all “sanctioned oil tankers” from entering Venezuela, escalating pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro.

Many Unemployed Americans Are Applying For 100s Of Jobs With No Success As The Unemployment Rate Surges To A 4 Year High
Frustrated job seekers all over America just got more bad news. The unemployment rate just hit the highest level that we have seen in four years, and that is yet another indication that the labor market is getting even tighter. If you currently have a good job that you highly value, hold on to it, because finding a replacement for that job would not be easy in this very challenging economic environment. In previous articles, I have shared heartbreaking stories from unemployed Americans that have been unable to find work no matter how hard they have tried. I am going to share more of those stories today. When you are unemployed and month after month goes by without finding a job, it can really do a number on your self-esteem. If you have ever been through a stretch like that, you know exactly what I mean.

Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, Attends Menorah Lighting in Ottawa in the Wake of the Bondi Islamic Massacre
On the same day the world learned that a mini–October 7-style massacre had taken place in Bondi, Australia, Jewish communities around the globe gathered to mark the first night of Chanukah.

Red/Green Axis Terrorism: New Year’s Eve Bombings in LA Plotted by Turtle Island Liberation Front Thwarted by FBI
The Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF) is a communist, anti-ICE, pro-Palestinian domestic terrorist group. An alleged plot targeting Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve by the radical group was just foiled by the FBI, which has arrested four members who planned to use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in backpacks.

First the Invitation, Then the Slaughter: The Truth About Dawah That America Is Refusing to Face
Why Dawah (Islamic Proselytization) Is Never “Harmless” We have now learned that Naveed Akram, one of the Islamic terrorists who carried out a jihad-motivated attack against Jews in Australia, was deeply religious long before the massacre. A newly surfaced video shows Akram years earlier, openly spreading dawah on the streets—demonstrating that he was devout, ideologically committed, and actively engaged in Islamic proselytization well before the attack.

JEW HUNTING SEASON IS OPEN: Hanukkah Subway Assault Confirms NYC Is Following Europe’s Path
This is what the end of Jewish safety looks like in a city that refuses to confront the ideology driving the violence, first denial, then normalization, then blood.

Is Europe Working Toward Peace or a Wider War?
There’s a flurry of activity in Europe — some of it appears to be attempts at peace in Ukraine. But there are also signs suggesting something else is going on. What is really happening?

Gold Warning Issued as New Monetary System Takes Hold
This video lays out the data behind a shift few are talking about: central banks are buying gold at record levels, with October 2025 marking the highest month of central bank gold purchases on record. This isn’t portfolio balancing. It’s a signal.

Netanyahu vows Hamas defeat as global antisemitic terror targets Jewish communities
Each episode offers a look at the realities of Israel’s heartland, countering media bias with firsthand stories of courage, community and connection to the land. Hasten explores topics ranging from security and sovereignty to faith, culture and innovation, spotlighting those shaping Israel’s future from its biblical core.

Note: Our guest contributing authors, Dan and Meg Price, are the husband-and-wife team behind Front Row Seat Ministries, serving the Lord in northern Israel.]

Years ago, in my (Meg’s) high school choir’s Christmas program, a fellow student was given a solo that had been written by our choir director, echoing the words of Simeon, who was described in Luke 2 as a righteous and devout man, “waiting for the Consolation of Israel” (ESV). When he beheld Jesus, Simeon said, “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.” I still sing those powerful words each Christmas season.

After Simeon blessed the Lord, he blessed Joseph and Mary, who had brought Jesus to the Temple to present Him to the Lord (and isn’t that something to ponder – God the Son, having just been wrapped in human flesh, being brought to the Temple to be presented to God, His Father). We read in Luke 2:34-35, “And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed – and a sword will pierce even your own soul – to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’”

As a woman living in 2025, I am struck by the fact that Simeon spoke directly “to Mary, His mother,” in a time when women were not culturally front and center. But how could the mother of the Messiah not be at least “stage right” on this occasion of presenting Jesus at the Temple?

I was also once a young mother, and loved reading that Mary – so very young to carry such an incredible burden, and blessing – “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). I have to wonder how many times over her Son’s years on earth, and for all the years of her life, did the things she treasured up in her heart pierce, or console, her soul.

Mary’s song of praise during her stay with Elizabeth and Zechariah, recorded in Luke 1:46-55, shows a maturity beyond her years. Her words in verse 54, “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,” allude to the prophetic fulfillment of Psalm 98:3: “He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” The world was being introduced to the Salvation of our God – Mary’s very own Son.

But let’s return for a moment to Simeon and how Scripture described him as “waiting for the Consolation of Israel.” The Hebrew root for “consolation” is “Naham,” as in the prophet Nehemiah, [which] can also mean “solace” and “redemption.” In English, we think of consoling as comforting someone after suffering.

Relief for the Suffering

In the years leading up to Jesus’ birth, the people of Israel were suffering under Roman rule. Simeon was not the only one waiting for Israel’s Consolation that was to come through the long-expected Messiah. We see that longing within the ranks of Jesus’ own disciples.

Whether we’re talking about ancient or more recent history, the Jewish people have suffered and continue to suffer. Some of their suffering has most certainly been self-inflicted (or self-imposed?) because of their disobedience and God’s remedial judgments. Many Jews are indeed looking for consolation, but as Johnny Lee sang, they’re looking for it “in all the wrong places.” Which is to say, anywhere and everywhere except in the only begotten Son of God. Immanuel, God with us, God the Son, who took on human flesh to pay our debt (another idea that rankles Jews – substitutionary atonement – but that is a topic for another time).

All Israel was indeed on the lookout for God’s promised Consolation. They watched for the Messiah’s deliverance, which the people inferred would be deliverance from their suffering under Roman rule, in the form of a military deliverer. Many were disappointed when Jesus did not fill that role according to their expectations.

All these years after the Messiah’s First Coming, there is not much true consolation to be found among secular Israelis today. It’s one of the reasons Dan and I find it depressing to be in the Land during Christmas. As I have written here previously, it isn’t very encouraging to be in the Land of the Savior’s birth only to see the day treated as a regular day. A day in which Dan and I have, in past years, gone to class and to work. Even Messianic believers downplay the celebration of the Savior’s birth. While I understand their frustration at our choosing to celebrate on December 25th – a date that most likely does not coincide with the actual date of Jesus’ birth – I think we should at least acknowledge His birth on a day, because without His birth, there would have been no death, burial, and resurrection.

As the years, the centuries, the millennia have passed, Jews have suffered. However, their suffering does not seem to motivate them to continue waiting for the Messiah. Instead, their years of suffering seem to have caused them to stop watching and waiting altogether. So I was surprised when, during a recent lesson with my Hebrew tutor, she made a statement I was not expecting.

The morning of my lesson, I learned the news that a dear American friend had passed away. I used my lesson as another opportunity to share with her the hope I have as a believer, even as I grieved the news I’d received. I explained that while I mourned for his wife and children in their loss, I rejoiced that our friend was with the Lord, whole and no longer suffering from the cancer that had ravaged his physical body.

My tutor is a very secular Israeli Jew, so it surprised me when she said that “all Israel is waiting for the Messiah.” I wasn’t sure I had heard her correctly; remember, we were speaking Hebrew. When I asked her for clarification as to whether or not she, a self-described secular Jew, was waiting for the Messiah’s coming, she said that she was not. She clarified that she had been speaking of religious Jews as those still waiting for the Messiah’s appearance.

What are You Looking For?

Since October 7, 2023, many Israelis have been seeking answers and even demanding them. Many, especially those who lost loved ones and those whose family members were taken hostage, have demanded answers from their governmental and military leaders. In the two millennia since the Messiah’s first appearing, very little has changed on this front. Back to the words of Mary’s song, God’s mercy has helped His servant Israel survive the worst the world has thrown at them over the years, but most Jews failed then, and still fail today, to recognize God’s mercy in sending His one and only Son. The vast majority refuse to see His “steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel.”

As believers, we “have seen the salvation of our God,” the “light for revelation to the Gentiles,” and we have been given the great privilege and responsibility to share with the people of Israel their Messiah, the Hope of the nations, the “Consolation of Israel,” for the glory of God’s people Israel.

Dan and I love living in Israel (every day except Christmas Day), and we know what an incredible blessing the Lord has given us in calling us here. We love the people of Israel, and our desire is for their consolation, remembering that one of the meanings of consolation is “redemption.” We strive to share with our friends and neighbors here in the “weary world” around us the thrill of hope that we celebrate during this Christmas season – the hope we so desire that they will know and the hope that came at our Savior’s birth. This is the hope that keeps us looking for and praying for the soon return of Immanuel, God with us.

17 Dec 2025

Israelis Have Yet to Embrace the Consolation of Israel :: Dr. Nathan E. Jones