World News Through the Third Lens: Israel Dominates the News

Israel dominates the headlines, but not in the United States. I found none of the following stories in the local paper, either yesterday or today. Life goes on in the West, with precious little concern for the land of God's promise, or the people to whom He promised it. Meanwhile things are heating up on all sides surrounding the little strip of land called Israel. US Veto of PA Bid for UN State Recognition Not the End of the Matter (Jerusalem Post). Palestine could still gain recognition as a non-member state, with observer status. This would require only a simple majority vote of the General Assembly. 120 countries have already recognized Palestine. A decision is expected before the end of September.

UN Secretary General: Palestinian Statehood is Long Overdue. (Ha'aretz) Ban-Ki-Moon went on to say, "The two state vision where Israel and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security -- that is still a valid vision and I support it." As illogical as was the original Road map to Peace, it at least contained certain conditions that Palestine must keep for the process to move forward: 1) recognition of Israel as a legal state in the region, 2) renounce terror against the Jewish nation, 3) dismantle all terrorist groups within its territory, 4) end all forms of anti-Israel incitement within its systems. Not one of these conditions has been met, and yet the UN is about to recognize Palestine as a legal state. To Islamists, the two state solution is neither a reality nor a vision.

Israel Faces Worst Crisis With Egypt for 30 Years as Diplomats Flee (INN). Hundreds of protesters tore down the protective barrier in front of the building housing the Israeli embassy, stormed the building and entered the floors of the embassy, destroying hundreds of documents in the process, while 86 embassy members were air-lifted to safety. Egyptian security forces did not intervene, even as the Israeli flag was torn down and burned. This is the new face of "democracy" in Egypt which was supported by President Obama. The peace between Israel and Egypt has now been strained to the breaking point.

Jordanians Planning March on Israeli Embassy (INN). A group in Amman has called for one million people to gather at the large mosque near the Israeli Embassy, and to then march on it and do what protesters did in Cairo just last Friday.

Turkish Warships to Challenge Israel (DEBKA). Turkish PM, Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish warship would henceforth accompany any aid ships on route to the Gaza Strip. This is in spite of the fact that this piece of land was given over to the Palestinians by Israel, and included in the cost was the displacement of over 9,000 Israeli citizens. The Palestinians destroyed most of the infrastructure left behind, killed many of their own during the infighting between Hamas and Fatah, and then continued to bombard the south of Israel with rockets and missiles. This lead to Operation Lead Cast in which Israel defended herself as any sovereign nation would, only to incur false defamation on the part of UN inspectors. Even now, rockets and missiles are fired into Israeli settlements, with no regard for targets.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: "The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: 'Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that i will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it'" (Zechariah 12:1-3). It's beginning to take shape, just as the Lord declared it. The problem in the Middle east, with Jerusalem the epi-center, will get so intense that peace will be sought at all cost; and to the relief of the un-believing world, it will be gained. Even the majority of Israel, gathered in the land in unbelief, will accept this 7 year peace agreement.

This will be the time for the saints of God to be watching and waiting for the return of their Lord and King. It will mark the beginning of Daniel's 70th week and the opening of the first seal in Revelation 6. It will be a time when faith must be strengthened, and trust renewed, for this will mark the beginning of sorrows. Follow the drama in Matthew 24. This will be a time when deception runs rampant, man-made and natural disasters increase, persecution of the true church intensifies, false prophets abound and apostasy runs rampant. This will lead right up to the "abomination of desolation" spoken of in Daniel 9:27, followed by the worst persecution the church has ever faced. Those days will be cut short by the return of Christ, who will raise the faithful dead, and in an instant transform those living in Him, gathering them all together to meet Him in the air (Matthew 24:22, 31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

This is just a brief summary of events to expect in the future, and in no way is meant to predict the timing of Christ's return. However, it is important to say to anyone reading this, "Let no man deceive you..." There is much deception out there concerning the return of Christ, ranging from exact date predictions (like last May 21st) to an "any-time rapture." While we do not, and will not know the day or the hour of Christ's return, He has gone to great lengths to give us the signs. That is why Paul said, "...concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write you" (1 Thessalonians 5:1). He goes on to say that "the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Don't be deceived into thinking that the day of the Lord is the entire seven years of Daniel's 70th week. It is not! The day of the Lord is not unbelieving man's wrath against the church, neither is it the wrath of Satan through the Antichrist against the church. The church must go through all of this, by which she will be purified and made spotless. The day of the Lord comes and He pours out His wrath upon the world, sometime well into the second half of the 7 year period, and only after He has gathered His saints unto himself - thereby cutting short the Great Tribulation. This happens between the 6th and 7th seals of Revelation. The signs are all there. Today's headlines are just harbingers of the signs that are yet to come..........shortly, it seems.

"And when you see these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift your heads; for your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28).

World News Through the Third Lens: The Nations Are Raging

British police face public anger as riots rage (The Associated Press, Tuesday, August 9, 2011). Britain began flooding London's streets with 16,000 police officers Tuesday, nearly tripling their presence as the nation feared its worst rioting in a generation would stretch into a fourth night. The violence has turned buildings into burnt out carcasses, triggered massive looting and spread to other U.K. cities.

US urges citizens to leave Syria immediately (Fox News, Monday, August 8, 2011). The United States urged US citizens Friday to depart from Syria "immediately," and noted the Damascus government had placed "severe" constraints on the travel of US diplomats in the country. The travel warning expressed growing concern over the violent crackdown by President Bashar Al Assad's security forces against pro-democracy protesters.

Arab League tells Syria to halt violence as more than 60 die in Assad's latest crackdown. (Ha'aretz, Monday August 8, 2011). Arab League Chief Nabil al-Arabi on Sunday called on Syrian authorities to "immediately halt" a violent crackdown on anti-government protests and expedite steps to preserve the country's unity.

US stocks sink after Fed predicts slower growth (New York AP, August 9, 2011). The Federal Reserve spoke - and the financial markets responded with a dive. Stocks dropped Tuesday afternoon after the Fed said that economic growth this year has been "considerably slower" than it expected and that it will keep interest rates at their record low of almost zero until at least the middle of 2013.

Through the Third Lens of Scripture: Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and His Anointed, saying, "Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath. and distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set My King on my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.'" Now therefore, be wise O kings; be instructed you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him (Psalm 2:1-12).

Why do the nations rage? The question is left hanging without an answer. The inspired psalmist goes on to describe in broad strokes their raging and plotting, and the consequences of such actions, but he never answers the question, "Why?" Based on the whole counsel of Scripture, this seems to be the point to which human nature devolves, when left unchecked. In happened between the time of the first sin (Genesis 3) which quickly led to murder and polygamy (Genesis 4) which eventually led to this: The lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5).

A New testament view of this same regression in natural man and his societies is seen in Romans 1-3. There Paul declares The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness...(Romans 1:18). In chapter one Paul focuses on the sins of idolatry, the rejection of the truth of God's Word, and it being exchanged for the lie of Satan, and homosexuality. While all these sins are indicative of the practices of Gentiles (people without a relationship with God), in Chapter 2 Paul turns on the Jews (who had a covenant relationship with God). He says that they do the same things; that they are stubborn and unrepentant, and that they do not practice what they preach. By the time you reach Romans 3:9, Paul concludes, "...Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin."

Then, just in case somebody dares to think that they belong to some special, third class of people, Paul writes, "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This sin produces death. It will kill a nation, a society, a culture just as surely as it will kill an individual. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"(Romans 6:23).

When speaking of national sin and impending judgment, I have often quoted "Righteousness exalts an nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." (Proverbs 14:34). That is as true today as it ever has been. Perhaps it will help to distinguish between the judgment of individuals and the judgment of nations. I especially hope this is helpful to friends who, like me, have donned the uniform of the USA and consider themselves patriots. The Bible makes it very clear concerning the judgment of individuals that some of their sins are judged in this lifetime while others are judged in the next. Sins judged in this lifetime include all those sins that a person has washed away when he acknowledges that Jesus Christ bore them in His body while hanging on Calvary's cross (Romans 10:9-10; 1 Peter 2:24). The person who judges himself a sinner in need of a savior, and then in repentance cries out to Jesus for salvation will not be judged along with others in the world (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).

Nations are not eternal, as is man. Nations have been and will be judged in this life. People are all the time being saved from God's judgment by faith in Christ, even though they live in a nation which is under God's judgment. The nations are raging now - trying desperately to throw off the reign of God, and doing nothing positive to prepare for the arrival of His Kingdom. In all their raging, God is laughing, knowing that there is nothing they can do to thwart the purposes of God. The nations are raging and the Middle East is in turmoil. What will happen if next month, the UN declares Palestine a separate nation? I don't know, but I do know that there is nothing the UN can do to keep the Lord Jesus Christ from sitting upon His throne on the holy hill of Zion (which is Jerusalem)! The turmoil of this world will increase before that Day happens, and the Lord shall receive His inheritance of the nations out of the ashes of the outpouring of His wrath.

Why do the nations rage? It's their nature to. Don't get distraught by all the raging; don't get caught up in all the raging. "Kiss the Son" or pay Him the homage He is due. Prepare your heart as a throne for Him, before He assumes His rightful throne in Zion. "Blessed are ALL who put their trust in Him (Psalm 2:12).