For the past year, the PM of the non-existent country of Palestine has been promoting his desire for the  UN to recognize an Arab Palestine as a member state.  He wants the UN to issue a resolution and bring it to the Security Council for a vote.  His second step, if the Security Council rejects the resolution is to bring it to the General Assembly for a lesser status of a permanent observer state, similar to the position that the Vatican currently holds.

Note: An almost humorous twist to this is the disagreement between Hamas and the PA who are “unity partners” in the proposed new state of Palestine  The disagreement focuses on the size of the territory; Hamas wants “all of Palestine, including that which is now Israel” and Abbas is [temporarily] “settling for the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and Gaza.”

Despite all attempts to stop him, Abumazin (Abbas) has remained resolute although he continues to meet with a myriad of international leaders to “find a solution.”

Actually, in the natural, his move is brilliant.  He is forcing the international community to step in and push Israel into accepting his conditions.  He is forcing  Israel to either succumb to the powers of the nations against her or go to war.

The two sides have come to the end of negotiations.  Each has drawn a line in the sand over which they will not cross, and in my opinion Israel cannot cross.  They are diametrically opposed and there simply is no way to compromise.

So the nations are scrambling.  America seems to be standing firm in its decision to reject the proposal if it comes to the Security Council.  That will successfully stop Palestine from becoming a Member State.  But the result will be twofold:

• The end of President Obama’s desire to ‘make nice’ to the Muslim world.  Only God knows what that will mean to America.
• The guaranteed success of Palestine in the General Assembly.  That could have far reaching negative consequences for Israel and for the nations.

So in either case, it is bad news for Israel and for America.

What the world seems to be ignoring is the truth that since 1920 there has been a two state solution: Palestine would be under Jewish sovereignty and Jordan under Arab.

The unreality of this situation defies understanding, (except from a Biblical perspective).  Why?

The United Nations has no power to bestow legitimacy on any group of people who want to be a state or sovereign country. Only treaties made between consenting parties have legitimacy in International Law.

From a spiritual perspective, God is allowing the nations to choose which side they are on…and there are only two choices: with or against the Lord God of Israel and His Messiah Yeshua, Jesus.

So let’s take a closer look at some of the issues.

THE ISSUE OF LEGITIMACY OF ISRAEL

The below referenced link is excellent (despite its title) in a review of International Law in regard to Israel.  Here is a summary of the salient facts.  (Almost everything I’ve written comes from that video and at times I’ve directly quoted from it. )

• After World War 1, the League of Nations met at San Remo, Italy to deliberate the outcome of what was formerly the Ottoman Empire.  Britain, France, and Turkey were key players.
• Only representatives with powers to make binding decisions on who would get what attended:
• The San Remo Resolution of 1920 signed by: The United States, representatives from the Zionist Organization of Paris, representatives from the Arab concerns and what was then the European Union.
  • This is the key paragraph in regards to Palestine  “The High Contracting Parties agree to entrust, by application of the provisions of Article 22, the administration of Palestine, within such boundaries as may be determined by the Principal Allied Powers, to a Mandatory, to be selected by the said Powers. The Mandatory will be responsible for putting into effect the declaration originally made on November 8, 1917, by the British Government, and adopted by the other Allied Powers, in favour of the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.
    • Note: Jews were soon expelled from every Arab nation, without regard to their land or possessions.  Israel reimbursed Arabs who chose to leave Palestine!
• In 1922 the League of Nations approved the Palestine Mandate which affirmed the San Remo Resolution and gave recognition to the “historic rights of the Jewish people to reconstitute their national home.”
  • Note: This language is crucial to combat the claims of the Muslims that the Jews had no historic claim to the land, insisting that the Bible is a perversion of history.  These words reflect that the pre-existing rights of the Jewish people in Israel (aka Palestine) were recognized by the world powers.  The events this week at the United Nations prove that the nations either have short memories, or something much more sinister.
• Both the Jews and the Arabs were “chosen to be beneficiaries of a trust or mandate;” the Jews in respect to Palestine, the Arabs in respect to Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon
  • The civil and legal rights of individual Arabs were protected in Palestine, but the collective political rights were reserved for the Jews, exclusively.  The Arabs were given the same collective rights, exclusively, in the neighboring countries.
    • Note: There are 21 Arab countries and 1 Jewish state!
• In 1946 the League of Nations was replaced by the United Nations.  The final resolution of the League specified that the rights of people and nations from previous resolutions be protected by the UN.  Furthermore, there was nothing in the UN charter which changed those rights.
• Immediately after Israel’s “independence was affirmed by the UN, she was attacked by the five neighboring countries.  During the war, Jordan annexed east Jerusalem and part of Samaria (called the West Bank of Jordan) but the annexation was never recognized by the UN.
  • After the 6 Day War of 1967, the UN passed Resolution 242 which is often referred to.  It declares that there MUST be an end to the belligerency between the parties so there can be a just peace.
    • The charter of the PLO and of Hamas still do not recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
  • Article 1 of the Resolution calls for the “withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict.”  Namely the very territory Jordan annexed in 1947 – east Jerusalem and Samaria- territories originally given to Israel.  Israel NEVER surrendered or relinquished their rights to that territory.
• The Oslow Agreement of 1993 had a clause, article 31 which specified, “Neither side shall change the status of the West Bank and Gaza prior to the completion of permanent status negotiations.
  • Bowing to pressure from the US and EU, Israel withdrew from Gaza.  In so doing, she has suffered from thousands of missile and rocket attacks all emanating from Gaza.

GOD’S PERSPECTIVE

The nations of the world are on a collision course with the God of Israel. So is the Church

He has made His position extremely clear.  Yet

• There are many in the Church today who are tired of hearing about Israel.
• Others say that the New Testament has replaced the Old and that all the prophecies regarding Israel are to be applied to the Church.  Furthermore they allegorize the imagery losing the literal (and easier) interpretation subject to Israel.
• There are even serious discussions about who IS a Jew and who is Israel.

Before I trusted Jesus, well meaning friends challenged me about the meaning of the prophets.  I responded aggressively and arrogantly saying, “It’s easy, I don’t read them!”

Today much of the Church is doing and saying the same – they don’t read the prophets.  Thus they remain ignorant of the significance TO THEIR OWN LIVES of the decisions their countries are making in relationship to Israel.

Someone said to me today, “For years we have known this day was coming, but ‘suddenly’ it is upon us.”

Beloved, let us not be deceived or ignorant.  God keeps His covenant.  Furthermore He means what He says and says what He means.  You should know these Scriptures which bring together the future of Israel and you!

I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you,
      And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Gen 12:1-3)

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 against 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.” (Psalm 2:1-6)

For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. ⁹ For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me. (Zech 2:8)

“For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will also gather all nations,
And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will enter into judgment with them there
      On account of My people, My heritage Israel,
      Whom they have scattered among the nations;
      They have also divided up My land. (Joel 3:1-2)

These are just some of the warnings God has given to those who would dare come against Israel.

I realize that the spiritual condition of Israel today is a mess.  We too will come under God’s judgment.  But woe to the countries who will be God’s instrument of that discipline.

SO WHAT?

I believe that we are truly entering into the time of Ezekiel 38-39.  I will not set dates, but our lives are about to change – drastically.  It might not be upon the vote of the UN on the 23rd, it might take a year or two.  But change it will.

Consider:

The events of the last two years, heck, the last few months have seen breath-taking changes especially in the Middle East. The situation was and remains impossible.  The tyrants who held their countries in bondage kept peace with Israel.  They needed to be deposed, but consider the existential threat to Israel?  Truly it was and remains a no-win situation.  Now the Middle East has been prepared for a Muslim coalition whose one aim is the annihilation of Israel.

Remember, as long as Israel, a Jewish state, exists she proves the Bible is correct and there IS a God in Israel. 

We have also seen natural catastrophes of Biblical proportions.  Who can forget seeing Japanese cities being swallowed up by a tsunami?  Or the off the chart snow falls, droughts, earthquakes in America?  What about the roller coaster ride of the world’s stock markets?  Or who can fathom the reality of the trillions of dollars of our debt?  Trillion?  What does that look like?!

What does all this mean?

  God is being merciful in judgment.

God MUST punish sin.  God MUST punish those who touch Israel…just as He MUST discipline Israel.  Because of His eternal and everlasting promise to Israel, meaning the Jewish people, He MUST fulfill those promises.  Even though we broke covenant, He never did.

All the machinations of the nations will avail nothing in God’s eyes.  Each of these attempts at bringing peace will fail.  There can be no peace as long as the Jewish people do not retain sovereignty over ALL the land God has promised.  Remember, there was a two state solution dating back to 1920 – Jordan and Israel.

What shall I do?

• First recognize we are in a time of God’s judgment.  But in that judgment there is His mercy. Psalm 97:2 – righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne.

Why do so many pray for God’s mercy rather than His righteousness to be revealed?  Because we don’t want to suffer.  Neither do I.  But beloved, suffering is a gift of God’s grace because through it we are established and are transformed into the image of Jesus.  So understand this season and prepare!

• Second it is time to take a spiritual inventory of yourself, your family and your church.  God will not be mocked and judgment starts at His house.  Call sin sin, repent and RUN to the Cross where you will find abundant forgiveness.

• Third pray and proclaim the truth of God’s justice and love, for Israel and for the nations.  This time of judgment will also be a time of great harvest.

• Finally, always remember that a spiritual problem will never be solved politically.  The events of this week and what is to follow must remind us of God’s Word:

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

Let Israel now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
⁴ Let those who fear the LORD now say,
“His mercy endures forever.”

 I called on the LORD in distress;
The LORD answered me andset me in a broad place.
The LORD is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.
It is better to trust in the LORD
         Than to put confidence in man.
  It is better to trust in the LORD
         Than to put confidence in princes. (Psalm 118:1-9)

Lord, may You be glorified in and through our lives.  May You be glorified through Israel and through Your Church.  May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  I pray this in the name to which EVERY knee will bow and EVERY tongue confess, Yeshua, Jesus!

Links:

Regarding Israel and “Palestine”:

 http://www.givepeaceachance.info/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63hTOaRu7h4