Welcome to Israel: To Love or Hate Her—That is the Question—Part 2–A Biblical and Personal Perspective on the Significance of Physical Israel.Welcome to Israel: To Love or Hate Her—That is the Question—Part 2–A Biblical and Personal Perspective on the Significance of Physical Israel.

Indeed, this is becoming more and more a question that every person of Faith is being pushed into answering for themselves and even for their respective Faith Community groups. Although not a salvific issue (ie., not having any bearing on one’s eternal life or service in the Kingdom of Yah), how we view or perceive physical Israel can have an effect upon one’s understanding of covenant relationships between YHVH and His select people. As well as it may directly effect how one understands and will ultimately respond to future events as the End of Days draws closer and closer to us. And I will certainly touch upon why I believe this to be so in this installment of the series.

So, what I aim to do in this series is to examine the issue of physical Israel (to include the modern nation of Israel) as it relates to the Messianic/Hebrew Roots mindset.
In so doing, I am compelled to point out that our Faith Community seems divided into 3-camps, as I pointed out in part 1 of this series:

1. Those who love on physical Israel; some even to the point of worshiping her.

2. Those who despise her for various and sundry reasons; some of those reasons which we will detail in this installment of the series.

And 3. Those who are indifferent to physical Israel, also for various and sundry reasons.

In an attempt to be as transparent as I possibly can on the outset, when considering the question of whether to love or hate Israel, I am of the perspective that physical Israel is important to us for a number of reasons which I will discuss in this and in the final installment of this series, which will be part 3.

But for now, suffice to say that I respect physical Israel as a covenant people who YHVH continues to deal with even today. And I respect her for her biblical and eschatological significance, which I contend every professing disciple of Messiah is responsible for understanding to the best of his/her ability. And I believe that physical Israel plays an integral role in Father’s great plan of redemption and salvation.
So, lets get into the meat of today’s discussion.

Analysis of Why People of Faith Reject Physical Israel and Biblical Responses to Those Viewpoints

In part 1, I began my personal analysis of why some people of faith reject physical Israel with two points of discussion. Allow me to quickly review those two points before continuing on with the 3rd.

1.  The hatred towards the citizens and inhabitants of the nation state of Israel, as well as towards Jews worldwide, suggests that some members of our Faith Community may be suffering from heart problems.

What I mean by this is that some members of churchianity and of our Faith Community are simply haters of Jews. This condition is popularly referred to today as anti-semitism.

I contend that regardless one’s understanding of who is a true Jew versus who is not, especially as it pertains to those who currently inhabit the Land of Israel (ie., referencing the Khazarian Controversy and other such pointless debates), Master Yeshua called us to love one another (Joh. 13:34; 15:12,17). Even to love our enemies. For He taught:

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.’ But I say unto you, Love your enemies…” (Mat. 5:42,43a; KJV).

Thus, I contend that a softening and healing of some of our hearts and souls may be in order. As disciples of Yeshua Messiah, we are obligated to love and care about others—regardless who they may be–as our heavenly Father loves and cares about us.

2.  Supersessionism, or as more popularly known to scholars: “Replacement Theology.”

In part 1 we went into what supersessionism and replacement theology was all about and determined that there was no biblical basis for its existence in our Faith. We who are the elect of YHVH our Elohim, have not replaced or supplanted physical Israel as His chosen people. We are certainly favored among the nation peoples of the world by YHVH and we have an unbelievable future ahead of us in Yah’s eternal kingdom. But physical Israel still remains a significant entity in Yah’s plan of redemption and salvation, whether we choose to believe or or not.

So picking up where we left off in part 1 of this brief series, we come to my 3rd point of analysis.

3. Some reject physical Israel because Paul taught that a Jew is one who possesses a circumcised heart.

So when read and understood out of context in the 2nd chapter of Romans, such individuals arrive at the erroneous conclusion that physical Israel and Jews of the world today cannot possibly be true Jews. They are, according to them, impostors.

Let’s take a look at what Paul actually wrote and see if we can make any true heads or tails of the statement he made to the Messianic Jews of Rome:

 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Rom 2:28-29 KJV)

Contextually, Paul in this passage was specifically addressing the Messianic Jews of Rome (Rom. 2:17). Some of the Messianic Jews of Rome possessed “superiority complexes.” These saw themselves as better or above the non-Jewish converts of the Roman assembly of disciples. They touted themselves as superior to the non-Jewish converts because of their heritage, understanding of Torah, and because the oracles of Torah was entrusted in the Jew for purposes of bringing light to the lost of the world (Rom. 2:18-20).

Yet these same Messianic Jews were violating the very Torah they were using to control the non-Jewish converts. Paul described their behavior as dishonoring YHVH in their transgression of Torah (2:21-23). Furthermore, Paul asserted that the Gentiles reviled or dishonored YHVH because of the duplicitous behavior of these Judaizers (Rom. 2:24; cf. Isa. 52:5).

In other words, Torah belongs to YHVH. In gifting Torah to the Jew (actually to the Hebrew), it brought honor to the Hebrew nation—that is, when they kept it. When they failed to keep Torah, they brought dishonor upon themselves and the Faith.

Nowhere in Paul’s writings does he ever call Gentile converts Jews. Paul was actually distinguishing who the True Jews were of the Roman Assembly. The Gentiles were never considered Jews by Paul. To view non-Jewish, even Gentile disciples as Jews, or even “spiritual Jews” for that matter, would lend support to the non-biblical doctrine of “Replacement Theology” or “supersessionism.

What Paul was actually getting at here was one of the greatest Torah Truths to be revealed to the people of Yah. For it was Father that said unto Moses regarding the people:

“O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever” (Deu. 5:29; KJV)!

The Psalmist took it a step further when he wrote:

“For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psa. 51:16,17; KJV).

Circling back to the Romans 2 passage, we find Paul next mentions something that Christians generally ignore. Touching upon circumcision, he tells the Messianic Jews of the Roman Assembly that circumcision is advantageous (ie., of value) if they keep Torah—that is they are not duplicitous in their living—that they are obedient in every area of Torah in their lives. However, if they were duplicitous in their keeping of Torah, their circumcised status was essentially nullified (Rom. 2:25). In other words, if they rested their entire Faith existence upon their circumcised status, they were simply J-B-N-L: Jews by Name and Lineage (only).

Why? Because true circumcision is of the heart, not of the flesh (Rom. 2:29). Physical circumcision is good (actually a privilege) because Abba instructed the practice be kept by His chosen people. But, if one’s heart isn’t right, their physical circumcision becomes null and void.

4. Others reject physical Israel because of an erroneous belief that the renewed/new covenant nullifies the existence of physical Israel (ie., the physical Jew).

Without engaging in a full-on discussion of the Renewed Covenant, suffice to say that the tenets of the renewed/new covenant are recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:26-28. But for the sake of reference, I refer you to the book of Hebrews for a quick overview of the covenant, which reads:

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Heb 8:10-12 KJV)

Now, many within and without our Faith Community would contend that the renewed covenant has been fulfilled. And this understanding is the basis of much of “replacement theology” or “supersessionism.” Such an understanding supports their worldview that there is no longer a physical Israel—or that physical Israel or physical Jews no longer matter to YHVH and His great plan of redemption.

Why? Because, according to these, the Jew has failed in having Torah placed into their minds and written on their hearts and they have rejected Y’shua as their Messiah.

Instead, many sects of churchianity have, as a result of oppressive ignorance, arrogantly claimed that Christians alone have become and replaced physical Israel. Christians have become THE COVENANT PEOPLE. These collectively believe they are “spiritual Israel.” And now that YHVH is working ONLY with the spiritual elements of the Faith, He will no longer have any dealings with the physical (ie., physical Israel).

And of course these individuals (as well as not a few Messianics) use the Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Hebrew passages on the renewed covenant as their proof-scriptural passages.
But here’s a very interesting passage of Scripture that actually proves that there’s nothing new “under the sun” and that the very things such individuals are speaking against Israel’s importance to YHVH was spoken by some of Israel’s opponents some 2,500+-years ago.

Please consider the following:

“The Word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah as follows, ‘Have you not noticed what these people say, ‘The two families (ie., House of Israel and House of Judah) which Yahweh chose He has now rejected?’ So they despise my people, whom they no longer think of as a nation. Yahweh says this, ‘If I have not created day and night and fixed the laws governing heaven and earth, why, then I shall reject the descendants of Jacob and of David my servant and cease to choose rulers from his descendants for the heirs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I shall bring back their captives and take pity on them’” (Jer. 33:23-26; NJB).

[The ESV ends this passage a little different, stating “For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.”]

Indeed, as so many continue to utter these very sentiments, YHVH Himself has emphatically stated to the contrary: “I will never reject nor forsake them (ie., physical Israel)” (1 Kin. 6:13; Psa. 94:14).

The prophet Isaiah wrote:

“Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me” (Isa. 44:21; KJV).

And then this:

“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee” (Isa. 49:15; KJV).

Okay. No doubt some will contend that there was a shelf-life to YHVH’s covenant with physical Israel. Such would contend that when Israel broke covenant with YHVH over and over again, YHVH eventually got tired of their obstinacy, picked-up His marbles and walked away from the game (ie., He abandoned physical Israel forever).

Well, such thinking is diametrically contrary to the Truth of Scripture. For the Psalmist wrote regarding YHVH and Israel:

“He has remembered His covenant for ever, the word which He commanded for a thousand generations which He established as a covenant to Abraham, and He remembered His oath to Isaac. And He established it to Jacob for an ordinance, and to Israel for an EVERLASTING COVENANT: to thee will I give the land of Canaan, the line of your inheritance when they were few in number, very few, and sojourners in it” (Psm. 105:8-12; LXX).

But I can clearly see how so many would reject physical Israel in churchianity. For I submit to you that most of these reject Israel because they reject YHVH’s tanakh (ie., His Word as contained in the Old Testament).

Think about it: what has churchianity taught over the centuries? That the Old Testament has been done away with, along with YHVH’s laws and instructions.

So let’s be honest about this thing: when one rejects any part of YHVH’s Word, isn’t he/she also rejecting YHVH. Regardless if we’re talking about something in the Old Testament (ie., Tanakh) or in the New Testament (ie., the Brit haDashah), we know that it is the whole of God’s eternal Word that is “true.”

John recorded Master uttering in prayer:

“Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is Truth” (Joh. 17:17; HCSB).

Let us not forget that at the time Yeshua posed this prayer to His Father, the Word of Truth that He referenced was none other than the Torah, the writings and the prophets as contained in the Tanakh. For the New Testament had not as yet been written.

I’ll say it another way: rejection of Yah’s Word is rejection of YHVH our Elohim. And if we are Yah’s elect, rejection of Scripture (be it the whole or in part) is NOT an option.

And I do get that some will challenge the points I’m making here from the perspective that this is all based on how one interprets the various scriptural passages related to physical Israel. Indeed, I would concede that my understanding of the stated passages may not be another’s understanding of those same passages.

It goes without saying that eschatology is a very tricky animal and understanding the ancient prophets requires understanding of the historical context in which the passages were written; the context in which each verse is written; YHVH’s proper timing along with the revelation of the Holy Spirit in order to fully grasp the true interpretation of some of these passages.

But when YHVH says over and over that He will never forsake Israel and that He will return Israel to the Land; and then on top of that, we see a people miraculously existing in that same land today that is spoken of in all these scriptural passages, then it stands to reason that one’s anti-physical Israel position has no biblical truth attached to it.

Truth be told, the renewed covenant that Christians use as a proof passage certifying their spiritual Jew/spiritual Israel status has only partially been fulfilled. Indeed, we who YHVH has grafted into the commonwealth of Israel, through the work of Yeshua our Messiah, already enjoy the benefits of the renewed covenant several years ahead of physical Israel. However, Scripture tells us that in the last days, the callouses of the unbelieving Jew and of the unrepentant  Hebrew will fall from their eyes and they will receive Y’shua as their Messiah. These will miraculously come under the fullness of the renewed covenant alongside us.

Now, I do not presume to be an expert of eschatology or End Times prophecies. Although we have more than a fair number of End Times experts on YouTube and other media platforms, I do not believe any one person truly knows precisely what the End Times looks like. Surely, in every sense of the phrase we look at the End Times through a “glass darkly.”

But I will say that I am familiar with most of the existing models of the End Times that churchianity and Messianics commonly buy into. I personally don’t embrace any one one those models particularly. Yet I do believe that somewhere in the midst of all those variant models will emerge the true End Times event sequence which I also believe will not be anything near what we’d ever imagine the end to be like.

The other thing that I will acknowledge about most of these End Times prophecy models is that physical Israel has a significant role to play in just about all of them. In fact, in some of those models, physical Israel (ie., the nation state of Israel) is brought to the brink of destruction and then saved by the mighty hand of YHVH.

We find in Zechariah the following prophecy that seems to have clear End Times significance attached to it:

“Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. THEN THE LORD WILL GO OUT AND FIGHT AGAINST THOSE NATIONS AS WHEN HE FIGHTS ON A DAY OF BATTLE. On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward” (Zec. 14:1-4; ESV).

Indeed, in order for this prophecy to occur, physical Israel must be present in the Land.

We also find from Matthew’s, Mark’s and Luke’s accounts of Yeshua’s “Olivet Discourse” the following elements, all of which imply the presence of physical Israel in the Land:

1. Jerusalem will be surrounded by a foreign invasion force that will precede the mysterious “Abomination of Desolation” (Luk. 21:20). Ultimately that invasion force will just about decimate Jerusalem and physical Israel (Luk. 21:21-23).

2. The “Abomination of Desolation” as prophesied in Daniel 9:27 and 12:11 “stands in the Holy Place.” The CJB and HCSB describe this event as “The Abomination That Causes Desolation.” Now, what exactly the “Abomination of Desolation” is, I am not entirely sure. I have some ideas, but to articulate them at this point would be pure conjecture at best.

3. There will follow Great Tribulation never before witnessed on this planet, and Israel will be smack in the middle of this mess (Mat. 24:16-22; cf. Dan. 9:26; 12:1; Joe. 1:2; 2:2). Yeshua says that Abba will have to actually shorten this period of tribulation for the elects’ sake (Mat. 24:22; Mk. 24:22).

4. Then a series of false messiahs and prophets working great signs and wonders with the potential of deceiving Yah’s elect will emerge on the End of Days scene (Mat. 24:26-27; Mk. 13:26,27).

5. Next, the natural elements (ie., the earth and heavens) will be shaken (Mat. 24:29; Mk. 13:24).

6. Finally Yeshua returns to earth to establish His millennial kingdom reign headquartered in Jerusalem, bringing along with Him the elect from the 4-corners of the world (Mat. 24:30,31; Mar. 13:26,27).

So, from where I’m sitting, I can’t understand how anyone who is a bible-trusting, self-professing man or woman of God, can say that physical Israel is irrelevant to the world, the Body of Messiah or to bible-prophecy. The scriptures are simply bursting at the seams with physical Israel relevance throughout its pages, both old and new testament alike.

5. Those who oppose physical Israel claim that Zionism disqualifies Jews living in the Land from being true Jews.

Let’s define Zionism. According to Wikipedia, Zionism is a nationalist movement that was officially founded by Theodor Herzl in the late 1800’s in central and eastern Europe. Theordore Herzl was an Austro-Hungarian journalist, playwrite, political activist and writer. Herzl and his followers’ vision was the founding of a future independent Jewish state.

Herzl’s movement stemmed from the wave of anti-smeitism and other nationalist movements spreading across Europe during that time. Those that succeeded Herzl established the specific goal of creating the Jewish State in the then Ottoman Empire controlled Palestine region—specifically Israel.

According to most Zionists, the Jews of the Diaspora (ie., the dispersion of Jews throughout the world as a result of their being exiled from Israel in the latter half of the first-century C.E.) had endured extreme persecution and antisemitic discrimination for centuries. The Zionists’ actions to bring about a Jewish state was born out of a concern for the safety and wellbeing of the world’s Jewish population.

Today, Zionists continue to advocate on behalf of the nation state of Israel. They pay particular attention to the external threats to the state for purposes of guaranteeing its continued existence and security.

It was Ahad Ha’am who put forth a secular vision of the state, different from the vision of Herzl. Herzl’s vision was simply to establish a “State of Jews.” Ha’am’s vision was that of a “Jewish State.”

But were you aware that there are a number of different classifications of Zionism? Well, there are:

• Labor Zionists
• Liberal Zionists
• Revisionist Zionists
• Religious Zionists
• Green Zionists
• Post-Zionists
• Christian Zionists (eg., Martin Luther King)
• Muslim Zionists
• Black Zionists (eg., Marcus Garvey who inspired African Hebrew Israelites to seek after their own homeland).

Zionism has over the last several years been negatively viewed as a form of illegal colonialism (ie., unfair confiscation of land and violence toward Palestinians who some call the indigenous people of Israel). Others tag Zionists as racists (ie., are hostile toward the indigenous population).

So I ask you: Why would the intervention of the Zionists to bring about a homeland for the Jewish people nullify the significance of physical Israel? How would zionism, either in the modern nation state of Israel or in any other area of the world, negate the significance of Israel to YHVH, to the world or to end times prophecy predictions? Furthermore, why would an ideal such as founding a safe-haven for Jews in the world negate YHVH’s promise to never abandon physical Israel?

Is not our God big enough to use whatever means (be it people, ideals or secular and religious movements) to establish His eternal purpose on the earth? Does it not seem reasonable to consider that YHVH used Zionists to bring His wayward children back into the Land? Since YHVH promised, under the auspices of the renewed covenant, to make a new covenant with physical Israel (ie., both House of Judah and House of Israel), does it not seem reasonable too that Father would bring physical Israel back into the Land to ultimately bring them back into covenant with Him?

The renewed covenant includes all TRUE Gentile converts to Faith. However, the renewed covenant is reestablishing the covenant Father had with House of Israel and House of Judah. Father never established a covenant with the Goyim (ie., the Gentiles). Let’s get that straight. Father established a covenant with only one people according to Scripture. We happen to have been factored into that new covenant as beneficiaries: enjoying all the benefits of the covenant provisions. In other words: we have been adopted by YHVH into His Family.

6. Another interesting reason some choose to hate on physical Israel is the mysterious Rothschilds Dynasty.

Many within and without our Faith Community are rabid consumers of conspiracy theories. (I don’t dismiss conspiracy theories. I just put them into proper perspective in my life. They don’t control my relationship with the Almighty nor do they control my life and how I live as a disciple of Y’shua Messiah.)

But many within and without our Faith Community have disqualified physical Israel because of Rothschild involvement in the nation state’s creation and continued existence.
So what’s the deal with the Rothschilds, especially as they relate to physical Israel?

The Rothschilds were a wealthy European Jewish family. They originated out of Germany and made their wealth from the banking business (c. 1760’s). The family’s wealth was passed down the generations and across Europe as the family grew and spread out. The Rothschild banking concerns had presence in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna and Naples.

One of the Rothschild’s direct descendants by the name of Walter Rothschild found himself at the tip of the Zionists’ movement. Walter Rothschild was an influential British banker, politician and zoologist, who in 1917 found himself an addressee of the Balfour Declaration to the Zionist Federation. The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during WWI announcing support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. At that time, Palestine was under the Ottoman Empire, possessing a small Jewish minority population” (www.wikipedia.com).

It can be accurately stated that Walter Rothschild was one of many Zionist leaders of that time. He was named an addressee of the Balfour Declaration, no doubt with the expressed intent of getting his considerable influence and wealth behind a movement to bring about the nation state of Israel.

As an aside here, why would using a person with considerable influence and wealth to bring about a safe haven for the world’s beleaguered Jews be a disqualifying element for the existence and relevance of physical Israel?

Well, interestingly enough, the Rothschilds have become the brunt of conspiracy theories across a wide-range of world events over the course of the last several decades. Why? Because of their ties to Zionism and because the family’s banking interests touches virtually all walks of western life. Unfortunately, most of the negative rhetoric regarding the Rothschilds and the Zionists have horrendous antisemitic overtones.

Personally, I have no position on the Rothschilds because, frankly, they have nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with them. They may or may not be “bad” people, but what else is new in the world. The world is full of wealthy and powerful, bad people. But YHVH has it all under control. Such debates over concerns of Zionists and the Rothschilds serve only to, as Paul wrote to Timothy, “promote speculations rather than promote the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1 Tim. 1:4; ESV).

In all fairness, however, the Rothschilds as a family have been divided over the issue of Zionism. One side of the family has always supported Zionism, while the other side has opposed the creation of a Jewish State.

Again, conspiracy theories and speculations (eg., flat earth, the Illuminati, the Rothschilds, the Zionists, etc.) have no true place in our Faith. Yet a great many teachers in our Faith Community are peddling conspiracy theories as a means of evangelism and teaching Torah. The Word of YHVH and the teachings of Yeshua Messiah must be our only source of teaching.

The Apostle Peter mentioned that he and His followers avoided such practices when teaching the gospel:

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2Pe 1:16 KJV)

Physical Israel is Backed by Miraculous Occurrences

Contrary to so many who have written off physical Israel and who attempt to pass on a false doctrine that YHVH has completely abandoned the Jews of the modern world and replaced them with another, so-called “spiritual Israel,” as I have already shown in part and we will later see as a whole, YHVH does indeed care about physical Israel. He has great plans for physical Israel.

The fact that Father worked many miracles to bring about the nation state of Israel in 1948 and secure her existence even today speaks volumes of the care and concern He has for physical Israel.
For one to ignore, or even deny what has occurred in physical Israel’s favor since 1948 is to willfully give in to religious dogma that is not based at all on the truth of Scripture (eg., replacement theology; anti-semitism; etc.).

I researched some of the reported historical miracles that have surrounded the establishment and continued securing of the modern nation of Israel. By one website’s count, no less than 17-such miracles exists. These include:

1. Israel becomes a nation in just one day. It was on 5/4/1948 that David Ben-Gurion, Chairman of Jewish Agency for Palestine, announced the formation of the new State of of Israel. Was this foretold in Scripture? I believe it was: “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children” (Isa. 66:8; ESV).
2. The Battle of Mishmar Haemek—4/4/1948—Israel was outnumbered 10 to 3 by the Arab Liberation Army. Israel is victorious in this war of independence.
3. The Battle for Katamon—1948—War of Independence. Israeli forces attempted to seize an Arab controlled section of Jerusalem. Again, greatly outnumbered and certainly outgunned, physical Israel prevailed despite great losses on both sides of the conflict.
4. The Battle of Safed—1948—War of Independence. Victory in the midsts of being out numbered and outgunned.
5. Taking Back Mount Zion—1948—War of Independence. Ira Rappaport’s small platoon fought hundreds of Jordanian military fighters for Mount Zion with only 25-rounds remaining at a crucial point in the battle. The Jordanians dropped their weapons and ran. One of the Jordanian troops years later testified that his military unit that day saw a vision of Abraham defending the Israeli platoon from the sky above.
6. Saving the Kibbutz—1948—War of Independence. Israeli forces inadvertently crossed over into Lebanon as they raced to rescue a besieged kibbutz. The forces were met by overwhelming Lebanese armored vehicles and troops. The Israeli troops fired upon the Lebanese armored unit causing a cascade of explosions taking out the entire enemy unit. Those Israeli troops returned safely to Israeli soil to find that the kibbutz they were sent to rescue had survived the attack against them.
7. Attack on Degania—1948—War of Independence. Syrian forces attacked another kibbutz at Tel Al-Aasr. Seventy-kibbutz members attempted to defend their community with molotov cocktails and ancient makeshift French canons. The Syrian attackers, believing they were outnumbered and outgunned turned and fled. The kibbutz was saved.
8. In 1967 the IDF launched a preemptive strike against a joint Egyptian-Syrian-Jordanian pact that was preparing a surprise attack to finally destroy Israel. A series of miraculous missteps and miscommunication on the part of the pact members resulted in Israel destroying half of the Egyptian air force. This preemptive strike by Israel launched what is famously known today as the “6-Day War.”
9. Battle for Ammunition Hill—1967—6-Day War—East Jerusalem. The Jordanian military maintained a military post in East Jerusalem. In order for the IDF to take East Jerusalem, they had to overtake the Jordanian post. For purposes of reducing the risk to civilian casualties, the IDF chose to use some of their ground forces over their air force. However, the IDF misjudged the number of Jordanian forces stationed at the post. The IDF sent only 1/3 of their ground forces to take the post. Despite being grossly out-manned and outnumbered, Israeli forces defeated the Jordanians in just 4-hours.
10. Kusseima—1967—6-Day War. A heavily fortified Egyptian outpost. As the weary IDF forces approached Kusseima, they heard explosions. Upon arriving at Kusseima, they found that the Egyptian forces had blown up their own equipment and abandoned their posts. Years later, some of the Egyptian soldiers from that incident testified that they had seen a gigantic hand descend toward them from the sky, causing them to flee in fear.
11. Taking Back Jerusalem—6/8/1967—6-Day War. Jordanian troops continued to harass and fight against the IDF in Jerusalem. One day, however, the Jordanians simply stopped shooting. When the IDF went to investigate, they found that the Jordanian forces had abandoned the Old City, leaving behind their equipment. The IDF took the Temple Mount without ever firing a shot.
12. Golan Heights Attack—1967—6-Day War. The IDF was tasked with taking the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights was defended by 70,000 Syrian forces. Fierce fighting occurred between the IDF and Syrian forces. But before the IDF got to the Golan Heights, the Syrian forces had abandoned their weapons and fled the region.
13. Taking Tel Fakur—1967—6-Day War. Twenty-five IDF forces charged Tel Fakur in the Golan Heights against a heavily fortified Syrian position. The Syrian commander kept his men from firing on the advancing IDF forces until they had reached a certain position on the tel. The IDF forces were so fast, they came upon the Syrian troops before the commander could give the order to engage the rapidly advancing Israelis forces. The IDF was victorious. From there, Israel recaptured the Western Wall and much of the Land of Israel in just 6-days.
14. Yom Kippur War—1973—Day of Atonement. Israel received a surprise attack from 100,000 Egyptian ground forces and 1,400 Syrian tanks. Despite being physically weakened by their fast, the IDF overcame the surprise attack and in so doing, defeated the aggressors, in the process annexing some 20KM of Syria.
15. Valley of Tears—Yom Kippur War—1973. A small IDF force faced hundreds of Syrian tanks near the Golan Heights. At the height of battle, only 3-Israeli tanks remained against 150-Syrian tanks. One of the 3 remaining IDF tank commanders who had used up all his shells was ordered to hold his position, despite facing certain death. Shockingly, however, the Syrian tank forces inexplicably retreated. A time later, one of the fleeing Syrian soldiers testified that he and his comrades saw angels surrounding the 3-remaining IDF tanks, prompting them to flee.
16. Gas Attack—Gulf War—1991. Iraq threatened to hit Israel with chemical weapons in the midst of the U.S. Gulf War against Iraq. Although not participating in the Gulf War, Iraq bombed Israel with rockets. Iraq never used chemical weapons against Israel.
17. 39-Rockets—1991—Gulf War. Without any Israeli provocation, Iraq fired some 39-missiles into Israel. Israel refused to retaliate at the behest of the Americans. In the midst of the missiles being fired into Israel, not one Israeli was killed.
18. Massacre Adverted—Summer of 2015. Tunnels built by the terrorist group Hamas operating among the Palestinian peoples, used tunnels to scout out attack points in Israel. The farming village of Sufa was chosen by Hamas as their point of attack because at the time, the wheat growing in Sufa fields were tall and would serve the attackers as good cover. When the attack was launched, however, the attackers found that the tall wheat had been harvested. The attackers were left without cover and were easily captured by the IDF.

Now, those who have an ax to grind with Israel will disavow or deny the miraculous nature of these stated events. And any who would choose to do so, that’s their choice. But, any sane person with even a little understanding of the political and military situations facing Israel over the years, must recognize that Israel has from the very beginning been out-gunned and out-manned by her surrounding adversaries. And being a retired military officer with some War College education under his belt, I can tell you that it’s darn near impossible to defeat overwhelming military force without superior strategy and “luck.” And I can tell you, I don’t believe in luck.

Physical Israel Today Has Her Problems

Look, I’ll be the first to concede that physical Israel has a lot of problems—in particular speaking to the modern state of Israel which is made up of physical Jews and Hebrews. She is wholly secular in her day-to-day conduct of life. Like the U.S., she condones liberal secular life practices that more times than not violate Torah. Just like the U.S.

Physical Israel—the modern State of Israel—is not the holy sacred nation some of us (both within and without our Faith Community) have elevated her to be. She’s fraught with problems that no doubt upset, anger and disappoint YHVH. Again, just like the U.S.  In her modern history (ie., since 1948), she’s done some terrible things in the name and ideology of Zionism. And she continues to vehemently deny Y’shua as her Messiah. Once again, just like the U.S. and the rest of the so-called civilized world.

But word on the street, which is coming from some very reliable sources, is that there’s movement, revelation and revival emerging in Israel amongst the physical inhabitants of the Land. And I truly believe that we will see in our lifetime physical Israel repent and turn to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and accept Yeshua as her Messiah.

YHVH is bigger than we could ever imagine Him to be. Sadly, however, our hearts and minds have this nasty tendency of boxing and minimizing Him and not taking Him at His Word. Some of us box YHVH to the point that we imagine YHVH working only within the rules we establish for Him in the box we created for Him in our own minds. That is, YHVH cannot possibly work with physical Israel or the Jews; they are a lost cause; He will never renew the covenant with them; He can only work with us because we are special and dear to Him exclusively. Etc. Etc. Etc.

The facts are there for all to see—both historical and biblically: that YHVH has NOT abandoned physical Israel and His eyes and future intentions include (dare I say feature) the modern nation of Israel. Because YHVH can, in His sovereignty and ominiscience use non-God-fearing Zionists, Rothschilds and secularists to achieve His intended purpose with physical Israel.

Look at each of us. Are we not evidence that Yah can and does work with those that the world has discarded or written off as irrelevant and hopelessly lost? Aren’t we as individuals, somewhat like physical Israel in Yah’s sight? Wayward? Hopeless? Sinful? Obstinate? Covenant breakers? In need of a heart-transplant? In need of a savior?

Do not most of us live in corrupt western communities today. Does such a reality eliminate the likelihood that He can do a great work in that community or that He has saints/His people who are living and working—being salt and light to those corrupt communities? Have we become so holy and high-minded that YHVH has to make an appointment to talk or meet with us?

I argue that far too many of us sit back in the midst of our righteous smugness while we go about condemning an entire nation because they don’t fit our ideas of what YHVH has intended for the world.
Instead of wallowing in that righteous smugness, why don’t we try on a bit of Holy Spirit inspired reflection and consider from whence we’ve come. Indeed, none of us are in any position to judge or condemn anyone but our own selves.

But what we can do is love and pray. That’s what we’ve been tasked to do. Love others and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And if we can do just those two things, I think maybe Father will do an even greater work in us so that we become the royal nation of priests He is calling for in these last and evil days.