The ‘blame game’
Once again President Erdogan has publically declared his obvious distain for Israel and for everything Jewish. Earlier this week in the Jewish News Syndicate online it said; “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan went on the attack against Israel once again over the weekend, this time claiming Israel murders innocent people in cold blood. In a speech to the Turkey Youth Foundation in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdoğan affirmed his county’s support for the Palestinians before saying that “the Jews in Israel kick men, but also women and children, when they’re on the ground.” He said that “as Muslims, we deal with people directly, and if there are people who are brave enough to provoke us, we will teach them a lesson.” Erdogan also told the audience, “Don’t be like the Jews.” A number of Turkish journalists tweeted that some in the crowd called out for Erdoğan to bring about the Muslim reconquest of Jerusalem. Erdoğan replied: “Soon, God willing.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the Turkish leader via Twitter on Saturday night, saying, “Erdoğan—the occupier of northern Cyprus, whose army massacres women and children in Kurdish villages, inside and outside Turkey—should not preach to Israel.”
Hypocracy magnified!
Emboldened, by the imminent withdrawal of American troops from Syria, the man from Turkey has seen the opportunity present itself to see a further step towards establishing his revived Turkish Ottoman Empire with himself as the Supreme Caliph of the Muslim World. Added to this with American forces to be withdrawn it would give him an open access to invade Israel and to take back East Jerusalem for the Arabs and especially the Temple Mount. Prime Minister Netanyahu has rightly condemned President Erdogan’s hypocrisy concerning Turkish human rights abuses. It would seem that the Ezekiel Chapter 38 invasion of Israel may not be that far down the track. American forces in Syria have been a deterrent to Iranian expansionism into Syria and a check on Russia from making moves to put a strong military presence in Syria. Even though there are around only 2,000 American troops in Syria they have been the watchdog for the security of the Israelis and the Kurds.
Hard pressed
As for President Trumps sudden announcement to withdraw American troops from Syria, this has left Prime Minister Netanyahu with the added burden of defending and protecting Israel on their Northern border at the Golan Heights. It is bad enough for the IDF having to dig up terrorist tunnels on the border of Lebanon but Israel is now faced with a possible offensive being mounted by Turkey, Iran, Syria, and possibly supported by Russia, not to mention the other Islamic nations waiting on the arrival of the Mahdi. In the short term President Erdogan may work with Assad in attacking the Kurds but there is no doubt Erdogan wants Assad gone so that the Muslim Brotherhood Philosophy, imbued within the plans for the revived Turkish Ottoman Empire, can come to their fruition.
“Wheeling and Dealing”
As for ISIS they are still around and possibly might actually join Turkey if President Erdogan succeeds in establishing the Caliphate. Is it possible that President Trump has made some kind of arms trade deal with Turkey that will serve American economic interests before anything else? The decision to withdraw American troops apparently came after President Trump and Erdogan had spoken on the phone and President Trump was invited to visit Turkey, Israel’s’ sworn enemy. In all of his “wheeling and dealing” President Trump needs to “be aware of Greeks bringing gifts.” The Trump Administration has effectively abandoned the Kurdish forces to an all-out war with Turkey which the Kurds cannot win and it would seem he is also abandoning Israel as well, leaving them susceptible to an Islamic invasion across their Northern border. According to a report in Israel Today online it said; “Brushing off criticism that his sudden withdrawal of American forces from Syria had further endangered Israel, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday insisted that the Jewish state was perfectly capable of defending itself. “We give Israel $4.5 billion a year. And they’re doing very well defending themselves, if you take a look,” Trump said during a surprise visit to Iraq, where he intends to keep US troops deployed for the foreseeable future.
The God of History
While Israel has heavily fortified the Golan Heights they still have to deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon supplied and supported by Iran. Added to this Israel still has a direct threat from Hamas in Gaza which is not going to go away anytime soon. The last thing Israel needs right now is an election! However, even though very tough times are ahead for Israel, for the nations and for the wider Body of the Messiah, the faithful Assembly of God’s people, we must not forget that God still have everything under control. As He himself says; “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;” (Isaiah 46:9-10) It has been said that “man proposes but God disposes.” King Solomon wrote; “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.” (Proverbs 19:21) or as the Psalmist Asaph wrote; “But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.”(Psalm 75:7)
“Down but not out for the count”
God is going to allow one last invasion of Israel which will see another exile when half of the Jewish inhabitants of the City of Jerusalem will be captured and exiled to Islamic nations. The prophet Zechariah writes; “Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.” (Zechariah 14:1-2) God will use this Islamic army to bring about Israel’s spiritual restoration. Once He has accomplished his purposes He will act decisively against Israel’s enemies. Once these wicked ‘Gentile’ nations have served His prophetic and salvation purposes for Israel He wil get rid of them as He did historically with the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Seleucid Greeks and the Romans.
The God of Battle
For we also read in Zechariah Chapter 14; “Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. You will flee by the valley of My Mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!” (Zechariah 14:3-5)
The way out!
When Israel were faced with the Red sea and the Egyptians coming to destroy them they cried out to Moses and through His servant God opened up the Red sea and the children of Israel passed through the waters unharmed and were delivered from the Egyptians who were totally destroyed by the LORD and drowned in the sea. When the Lord Jesus comes back in the character of Moses and his feet once again stand on the Mount of Olives the mountain will split in two from East to West and a valley opened for the surviving remnant of Jewish believers to pass through safely and escape from their oppressors. After this the armies that have pursued and troubled them will be inundated with fire from the LORD! (Ezekiel 38:18-23) In that day All Israel will be saved as they recognize their Messiah and turn to Him with tears of repentance and joy. (Zechariah 12:10-14)
The Song of Moses
Once the Messiah our Lord Jesus is back His justice and righteousness will flood the planet and flow like a mighty river across the length and breadth of this earth. The exiles will return with great joy as they go up once again to Jerusalem with palm branches in their hands! In that day the Torah will go forth from Jerusalem and the knowledge of the LORD will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas. He will judge the nations with righteous judgement and with absolute justice and perfect insight and reward everyone according to their deeds. He will especially judge those who remain alive who have divided up His land and denigrated and persecuted and murdered His people both Israel and by extension and inclusion the faithful Body of the Messiah, His faithful Assembly.(Joel 3:1-3) In that day God’s people will sing the song of Moses when they see the horse and rider thrown into the depths of the fiery sea of God’s indignation and retribution. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10)
“Life from the dead!”
In that day the surviving remnant of Israel will not only experience salvation from their enemies and from the hand of all who hate them but salvation from their sins and from its power and from the enemy of their souls namely Satan and his minions from Hades. For Israel it will be indeed “Life from the dead!” In that day All Israel will be saved because the gifts and call of God is irrevocable. (Romans 11:25-29)
Jerusalem will dwell in security
Zechariah also writes “In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one. All the land will be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin’s Gate as far as the place of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses. People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.” (Zechariah 14:6-12)
