This is the fourth article I have written on the subject of how Israel will find itself hated and isolated at the end of this age and that in a manner never known before. (See: The Book of Esther – Part 1, The Book of Esther – Part 2, and Allies abandoning and Enemies Encircling — Jacob’s day of trouble draws on! To these I could add yet another: The latter-day universal abandonment of Israel recently hinted at!!)
Despite two millennia of ‘antisemitism’ since Israel’s rejection and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, a more dreadful spirit of hatred and persecution against the ancient people of God is yet to be manifested.
These few headlines, of which there are many more, highlight the increasing opposition.
The world turns on Israel after World Central Kitchen slaughter: International fury grows, with UK possibly axing arms deals as IDF is accused of war crimes and aid worker death toll exceeds that of any other conflict
STEPHEN GLOVER: I’m a supporter of Israel, but there comes a point when the killing wreaked on innocent people outweighs the original sin
Israel meets the requirements for a just war in Gaza, but it’s losing the propaganda battle, says Jacob Rees-Mogg
Denmark: NGOs sue the Danish state to stop arms exports to Israel
‘Morally Unacceptable’: Senior Tory Says UK Must Stop Arms Sales To Israel
UN to take up Pakistan’s resolution on banning arms sales to Israel
Biden warns Netanyahu that US will change policy on Gaza unless Israel protects civilians
Israel has not done itself any favours of late in the Gaza conflict. There have been reported incidents which the most supportive of her sympathisers would not seek to justify. As Jacob Rees-Mogg says, they have been outpointed by Hamas and its allies in the ‘propaganda war’!
Again, that is a familiar factor to us here in Ulster for Sinn Fein/IRA, thanks to its many allies in the media, outscored Unionism and the British Government in the past and still does!
As one former NI Secretary, Shaun Woodward, said recently:
“The DUP . . . in the last Assembly elections they lost out to Sinn Fein. We are now looking at the first minister coming from a nationalist party, not a unionist party. Huge things have changed. I think they woke up, smelt the coffee and Jeffrey Donaldson rightly realised that train had left the station.” He claimed, “Sinn Fein are effectively running the show in every sense now.”
Former Secretary of State says Sinn Fein are ‘running the show’ and Unionists need to get their act together
It is not often that I find myself in something like agreement with a Westminster MP, but on this occasion there is more than a semblance of truth in what Woodward said!
It is to be ever remembered that Sinn Fein is the party allied to the terrorist organisation, the Provisional IRA. They murdered and injured thousands during the years of terrorism under the leadership of men such as Martin McGuinness.
Now they ‘are running the show’!
In this world lies, deceit and murder are rewarded. BUT I emphasise that it is ONLY in this world that this is so.
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death,” Revelation 21:8.
To return to the subject of the build-up of opposition to Israel, every Christian should take note of this for it is not merely an example of the ever-shifting sands of politics and public opinion. No, it is a central truth set forth in the prophecy of Holy Scripture.
The end of this age will see Israel suffer at the hands of her enemies.
“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle,” Zechariah 14:1-3.
Please note three things in these verses.
- That spoken of will happen just before the ‘day of the Lord’, the return of Christ in power and great glory.
- The trouble Israel will encounter is brought upon them by the Lord.
- However, the trouble is but the prelude to the Lord going forth against the enemies of Israel and rescuing her by His saving grace.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn,” Zechariah 12:9-10.
The ‘nations’ mentioned here are revealed to us in Holy Scripture. They are those nations that are allied to the Antichrist, the territories within the borders of the old ‘Roman Empire’, and especially those nations that are the neighbours to Israel. They have of old been her enemies and tormentors.
The Psalmist lists them for us.
“Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: the tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; so persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: that men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth,” Psalm 83:1-18.
Please note in this psalm:
- The evil scheme that unites these nations. “They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance,” verses 3-5.
- They are specifically named. What an underlining of the eternal foreknowledge and omniscience of God! Here is comfort and reassurance for every believer. “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world,” Acts 15:18.
- God’s intervention to save Israel comes at the end of a ‘silence’ by Him toward Israel.” Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God,” verse 1. During His trial before the religious leaders of Israel, following their rejection of Him and just prior to His crucifixion, the Saviour often refused to answer their questions. He remained silent. “And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing,” Matthew 27:12.
That silence will only end as is here depicted in the Psalm 83, just prior to the second advent and in response to the prayers of the awakened nation of Israel.
- Note the use in this prayer of former deliverances wrought by the Lord.“ Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession,” verse 9-12. In the latter days, Israel will be caused to remember God’s merciful deliverances in the past and prompted by such memories, will cry for the Lord to so act again.
- It is not just a prayer for ‘revenge’ but it is motivated by a desire to see the Lord honoured by all men.“ Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: that men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth,” verses 16-18.
As I said, the Psalmist mentions those immediate neighbours of Israel in this prayer but other nations will be united with these Arab nations in opposition to Israel.
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon,” Revelation 16:12-16.
Here we have the ‘infamously’ misquoted reference to Armageddon. Men speak of the ‘battle of Armageddon’ when in truth there is no such event recorded in the Bible. Rather, this is but the large plain to the north of Jerusalem on which the forces of Antichrist will gather before marching on Jerusalem with the intent of destroying it and carrying out the ‘plan’ revealed to us in the above quoted Psalm.
The future Antichrist is often referred to in prophecy as ‘the Assyrian’. Nations and individuals of the past who were to the fore in warring against Israel, were in truth pictures of the spirit which shall, in its fulness dwell in the Antichrist.
Isaiah 10:5 is an example of such a prophecy. “O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.”
Later on in this chapter we have outlined for us the assurance God gives to Israel regarding ‘the Assyrian’ and also that which follows the gathering of the nations to Armageddon and the march upon Jerusalem to the final confrontation of God by Antichrist and his overthrow by the breath of the Saviour’s mouth, as Paul tells us. “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming,” 2 Thessalonians 2:8.
It is a day of deliverance for persecuted Israel. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his (Antichrist’s) burden shall be taken away from off thy (Israel) shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing,” Isaiah 10:27.
But see how Isaiah sets forth the final events which entail the ‘lifting of Antichrist’s yoke’ from Israel’s neck. From verse 28 to verse 34 you have some of the principal events at the end of this age.
“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages: They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one,” Isaiah 10:24-34.
The underlined verse narrates the march of Antichrist and his forces from Armageddon to Jerusalem.
Events in these days will move inexorably toward the events outlined in the prophecy of Isaiah. The wise Christian will be on the watch for signs of this happening. The events reported in the news media in recent days, of which I have given a sample at the beginning of this article, will be echoed more perceivably as the ‘consulting together’ against Israel increases. The language will get stronger and the evil objective will become more apparent as prophecy is fulfilled.
Our watchword should be that given us by the Saviour.
“And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch,” Mark 13:37.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
Saturday 6th April, 2024