Russia in Jerusalem

More proof that we can’t really accurately make short-term predictions is seen in the announcement that the U.S., Israel, and…Russia(!) will meet in Jerusalem to discuss Mideast security issues.

According to a report in Al-Monitor:

“National security advisers John Bolton, Nikolay Patrushev and Meir Ben-Shabbat will convene June 24 in the Israeli capital to discuss the post-war order in Syria.

“’This is a crazy event. I don’t have sufficient superlatives to describe it,’ an Israeli defense source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. ‘It’s true that at this stage, the importance of the event is in the very decision to hold it, but think about it: Fifty-two years after Jerusalem’s liberation, we are bringing together there the heads of the American and Russian security councils to discuss arrangements for Syria after the war, with us as part of the process.’ The official got somewhat carried away talking about a ‘new Sykes-Picot’ — referring to the 1916 agreement dividing the region between the British and French colonial powers. Still, there is rare consensus in Israel about the summit being a tremendous achievement for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a strategic Israeli message to Iran and the rest of the Middle East that Israel is part of the axis of powers working together to instill a new order in the Middle East.”

Too often, I believe, we who love Bible prophecy like to announce that, for example, Ezekiel 38-39 is about to erupt.

Russia is the main bad actor in this drama, which will certainly happen at some point. If we’re honest, we have to admit that “Gog” might be Putin, or he might be a leader no one has heard of as of yet.

Currently, Putin knows full well that Israel is a force to be reckoned with. Obviously, he is no friend to the Jewish state, but the big, bad Vlad is a realist. With a naval base secured off the Syrian coast—long a coveted prospect for the Russians—Putin can bide his time. And now, astoundingly, the Russians need a strong Israel to keep the really bad actors at bay.

Who could have foreseen this? Certainly not me. For 40 years, I’ve heard that God-Magog was on the horizon.

It’s a long horizon.

Right now I’m looking at an email exchange between some prophecy students, several of whom are deluxe researchers. The speculation right now involves a specific prophecy related to Iran. The exchanges are a little chippy, as each jockeys for position to prove a point. Current events (as in real time) are being monitored by these people so that they can tell us all what is going to happen to and with Iran immediately.

But they will likely be wrong.

I don’t believe as preterists do, that much of prophecy has already been fulfilled, nor do I think the fulfillment of the greatest prophecies are very far off at all.

Neither do I believe, though, that we can say things with certainty when it comes to dates and places and actors. So long as these discussions stay in the realm of emails, that’s fine. It’s friends debating friends.

But the wider culture knows very, very little about the Bible. Actually, nothing about the Bible. Millions don’t even know a person named Isaiah ever existed in the ancient Near East. They don’t have a clue what our prophetic terminology means, and they aren’t aware of most end-times events. They have watched goofy apocalyptic movies starring people like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

What I wish we would do, as believers and supporters of Israel and students of Bible prophecy, is share the Gospel with them, using the prophetic model.

This is not being done on a wide scale by any very large ministry in this country. There is a void in this teaching. Andy Stanley hates it. So do Rick Warren and all the church growth guys. The Southern Baptists are now embarrassed about it. The Pentecostals are even dissing it.

So here you have a great opportunity.

Tell people what the Bible says about Bible prophecy, not what—I’m going to say it—John Hagee says about Bible prophecy. We jam our interpretations into the prophetic passages of the Bible and then stubbornly camp there. I wish we’d keep our eyes on the big picture, and use the astonishing, truly unique, and transcendent prophecies of the Bible to show people that Jesus Christ is the King of kings.

In some prophecy circles, there was/is no room for Russia as even a temporary ally of sorts with Israel.

Yet the Russians are in Jerusalem.

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com

Embassies Be Movin’!

After Donald Trump presented his “Lead from the Front” model (as opposed to his predecessor’s “Lead from Behind”) by moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, other statesmen gathered their courage.

(Israel has recognized Jerusalem as its capital since 1980, but the anti-Semites in the international community detested this, and still do.)

This morning, Moldova’s Prime Minister Pavel Filip tweeted the following:

“Today we adopted the decision to relocate the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It was a long overdue commitment to support our allies.”

Good on Moldova! The small, eastern European country (between Ukraine and Romania) is the latest to follow Trump’s lead. The official government website said it thusly:

“The Government decided in its today’s session to transfer the premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the State of Israel to Jerusalem.

“At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to approve the Agreement on the sale of the plot of land for the construction of the Embassy of the United States of America in the Republic of Moldova.

“’We are in the situation to urgently adopt these decisions taking into account the political instability and uncertainty in the country, but also the latest political developments whereas one of the political parties that constantly blocked these 2 projects is attempting an illegal takeover of power. These are two commitments that we have previously undertaken and we want to make sure they will be respected, regardless of what happens after the snap elections’, said Prime Minister Pavel Filip.

“Both projects are commitments undertaken by the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Government acted in order to avoid their long term blockage by the political crisis in the country.”

I am fascinated that these former Soviet national hostages are siding with Israel. Romania has also made a declaration to the same effect.

Guatemala has moved its embassy, as well. President Jimmy Morales—a friend of Benjamin Netanyahu—cannot run for re-election, and his political opponents have vowed to undo the move. Other countries considering the move have been Honduras, the Czech Republic, and Paraguay. Political disagreements are also present in those countries, and even if the embassies are moved now, they could be moved back after the next election.

(All this comes on the heels of Israel’s growing relationship with India. Netanyahu’s ability to forge friendships for the Jewish state have been astonishing.)

According to The Times of Israel:

“A full-fledged Czech embassy will likely not open in the near future. The country’s Foreign Ministry last year stressed that it ‘fully respects common policy of the European Union, which considers Jerusalem as the future capital of both the State of Israel and the future State of Palestine.’

“Indeed, it is Brussels’ desire for consensus on foreign policy matters that appears to be preventing some member states from relocating their embassies.

“An internal EU memo from March states that, if pushed by journalists on the Romanian prime minister’s vow to move, officials should reply by saying that the EU and its member states ‘will continue to respect the international consensus on Jerusalem.’”

Europe’s deep-seated Jew hatred continues. This story is a metaphor, I think, for the broader battle between good and evil. One can see the glorious potential with countries warming to Israel. The economic and cultural benefits would be amazing. And yet, at the same time, evil forces continue despising Israel, and in this we cannot help but see supernatural sources at work. There is no other rational explanation.

This tension is seen in prophetic scriptures, such as Zechariah 14:16-19—

“Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.”

The Nations might be dragged kicking and screaming to Jerusalem, but come they will.

Praise God!

Jim1fletcher@yahoo.com