The Israel & Gaza War (part two)

The speaker discusses the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, noting the rise of anti-Semitism and protests worldwide. They question the effectiveness of political and humanitarian solutions, stating that man cannot solve man's problems. They argue that Christianity is divided on the issue and should focus on understanding God's perspective. The speaker emphasizes the unique purpose of Israel as a chosen nation and the importance of Israel in revealing God to the world. They mention the consequences of Israel's failure to obey God and the current geopolitical situation, suggesting that it is part of God's plan for the final outpouring of prophetic revelations. The speaker references Psalm 83, highlighting the enemies plotting against Israel. They conclude by calling on God to intervene and bring shame to the enemies of Israel. Last week, we shared a bit on the Israel and Gaza War and so I want to continue talking about Israel and the Gaza War and what's happening to Israel today and what will happen tomorrow. It's on everybody's minds, lips, there are, wouldn't call them rallies, there are protests everywhere around the world, anti-Semitism is rising at a great rate of knots, etc. So I felt we still need to just see and have a little look at this subject again because that's what the word of Jehovah is full of. But we know of course that war is always filled with tragedy and inhumanity of man to man, that's the nature of war, devastation, destruction and horror fill our screens every day of what's going on over there and the hatred of satanic evil which battles the purposes of Israel and their God, their Elohim. So when we listen to the news reports of Israel and Hamas at war, every solution is political and humanitarian and what the message they're giving is solve the politics of the situation and the humanitarian goal of world peace will be accomplished. If we can get the political solutions right, world peace will come. So then every Arab nation of course will love Israel as it's a political problem and therefore it's solvable by man and diplomatic diplomacy will solve every problem between Israel and Hamas and Iran and every other Arab nation and Israel, unbeliever, will be solved if we can just get the political formula correct and get us all on their side. But I ask the question, is it working with Russia against Ukraine? Is it working with China and Taiwan? Is it working with Iran and America? Or eastern communism and dictatorships with western capitalism and democracy? No, no, no and it never ever will. So says God's word which is always right. Man cannot solve man's problems. Man is the problem. The heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked and Satan fills it. So unfortunately most of Christianity is caught up in this bun fight of Palestinians and Israel and whose side are you on? The truth is in my mind is we shouldn't be on either side in this political humanitarian war crimes divide. You're never going to be right. You're never going to get it right. We should be on God's side and declare what his word declares from Moses to Malachi. What does Jehovah say about this situation? We need to know what God reveals about this kind of thing and what is happening today. When we think of Christianity, we tend to just think of the little corner we grew up in, Pentecostals. It's a pretty shielded upbringing because when you grow up a Pentecostal, when you grow up an evangelical Christian, you don't really know anything about Catholicism or you don't know particularly anything about what they believe in America, what they believe in Ireland, what they believe in France. There is a whole divide between the Presbyterians, the Congregationalists and the evangelicals and branches of every creed and colour. They pass constitutional laws that are for the Palestinians as whole denominational structures and put Israel down. Do not buy anything that the Israelis make in the West Bank. Christianity is as divided as the rest of the world about what they believe and whose side they're on and who's the cruelest and who's the worst and who's guilty of more apartheid than others. Christianity is just as divided as everybody else. Whereas Christianity is as political as every government on planet Earth. They want to walk the powers of government corridors and they do. These are the questions that the whole world needs to consider. Where was God in what happened to Israel on the 7th of October this year? Where was God when that massacre happened and 1,400 Israelis were put to death, babies and children slaughtered and beheaded, captives taken? Where was God when that happened? And what is the purpose of the nation of Israel in the Earth? What is their purpose? Why are they here? Why do they exist? For what reason are they on this planet? Thirdly, why does the God of all creation call himself the Elohim of Israel? Why does he call himself that? Why doesn't he call himself the God of Australia or America or Russia? No, I am the God, the Elohim of Israel. The answers to these questions are important and essential to the understanding of what is happening to Israel and what the scriptures have to say about this war with Hamas. If we don't understand it from God's perspective, we will never ever have an answer or a solution to the problems that this nation faces and the rest of the world faces because of that war. Deuteronomy chapter 12, verses 1 to 5. These are the statutes and ordinances that you are to make sure to do in the land that Jehovah, the Elohim of your fathers, has given you to possess. All the days that you live on the Earth, you must utterly destroy all the places where the nations that you will dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You are to tear down their altars, smash their pillars, burn their Asherah poles in the fire and cut down the carved images of their gods and you are to obliterate their name from that place. You are not to act like this toward Jehovah, your Elohim. Rather, you are to seek only the place Jehovah, your Elohim chooses from all your tribes to put His name to dwell. There you will come. Chapter 14, verses 1 and 2. You are the children of Jehovah, your Elohim. You are not to cut yourselves or shave your forehead for the dead, for you are a Kedosh people to Jehovah, your Elohim. From all the peoples on the face of the Earth, Jehovah has chosen you to be His treasured people. You are not to eat any detestable thing. They're to be different. They're chosen to be different, to convey a message, to show a truth that no one else in the world does. So, Israel's existence and how it began and its reason for being is like no other nation on Earth. And as we noted last week, it is a nation raised up by Elohim from Abraham's seed to be a special chosen people, to be a revelation of Himself to the whole world and to be as His vehicle of salvation and restoration to all mankind and His creation, which is now practically destroyed. Who God is, what He is like, what He requires of every person on planet Earth and every government and nation is not known or understood without Israel. You cannot know God, understand God, be aware of His purposes and plans for humanity without the nation of Israel. Israel's prophets were the mouthpiece, the voice of Elohim to the whole world, to every nation, especially Christianity, who should also be carriers of this same message to the ends of the Earth, but they're not. Israel was forbidden or told not to contaminate the truth as revealed by Moses and the prophets, as we just read. They weren't to interact with their gods, their idols, their worship system and idolatrous practices of the nations around them and if they did, great judgment and curses would befall them, which we looked at last week. But Israel's leaders and people have failed to obey their God and His prophets and therefore war and captivity, death and destruction now plagues them. We looked at that fairly last week. The war of today is no different than all the wars that have gone before, including the 1948 war, the 1967 war, the 76 wars. The major difference now with this war, along with Russia and Ukraine, at the same time, is that Jehovah is positioning the nations of the world and their political alignments for the final outpouring of Daniel's and John's prophetic revelations to the world. Russia, Ukraine, is thrown Europe into turmoil, making them make decisions they didn't want to have to make. But now Europe has to come together in a way they've never been together because of Russia's attack on Ukraine. More and more nations are in a hurry to join NATO, the EU, for protection. They know things are looking very bad. It hasn't been worse for Israel than it is today. Iran is very, very strong. Hezbollah has become very, very strong, well fortified with Iranian programs, missiles, etc. As Hamas and the multitude of other groups within Hamas that are worse than Hamas. And of course Russia now is bearing themselves into Iran because they're one of the few people who still have weapons for them. So they're going to owe Iran a lot in the future. And North Korea is getting stronger and stronger, aligning. And China, yep, they're all showing their colours. They're all drawing their sides. Jehovah is the one who is manipulating his chessboard of bringing what nations together and which nations are looking at others now far, far more seriously and worried. So Psalm 83.1, we'll have a look at it. We know it well but we'll just highlight it so that we are aware of exactly what scripture says. A Psalm of Asaph. Elohim, do not keep silent. Do not hold your peace, O Elohim. Do not be still. For look, your enemies make an uproar. Those who hate you lift up their head. They make a shrewd plot against your people, conspiring against your treasured ones. Come, they say, let's wipe them out as a nation. Let Israel's name be remembered no more. For with one mind they plot together against you. Do they make a covenant? The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, the Moab and the Hagrites, Giebel, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the inhabitants of Tyre, even Assyria has joined them, becoming a strong arm for Lot's sons. Do to them as you did to Midian, to Sesere and Jabin at the Kishon River, who perished at Endor. They became as dung for the ground. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeb, all their princes like Zebar and Zelmana, who said, let us take possession of the pasture lands of God. My God, make them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind. As a fire burns a forest and as a flame sets mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. Cover their faces with shame so they may seek your name, Yehovah. Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever. Let them be humiliated and perish. Let them know that you alone, whose name is Yehovah, are El Elyon, Most High, over all the earth. That's about today. That's about what's happening now. That's the nations that surround the nation of Israel. Israel is surrounded by its enemies. Absolutely, completely and totally, every border of theirs is surrounding them by their enemies. So, the longer this Gaza war goes on, the greater will be the uprising of the Palestinian cause around the world and anti-Semitism and greater will be the world's hatred toward Israel and those who support them. The longer it goes, the worse it will get politically and they will become the most hated they are now. But it will increase and increase and increase. Israel has to defend itself and it has the right to do so. And not only politically, but more importantly, scripturally. But no one's going to stand with them at the end of the day for how they do that or how long they do that for. No matter how justly they try to do it well, you'll never do it well enough. People are going to die. Who are the most vulnerable in these wars? By the men of war and the machines of war. Women, children and babies. Read 2 Kings chapter 8, verses 12 to 5. Don't know where it is, somewhere over here. 2 Kings 8, 12. When Hazael asked, Why is my lord weeping? That's the prophet. He answered, Because I know the evil that you will inflict on the men of Israel. Their strongholds you will set on fire. Their young men you will slay with the sword. Their little ones you will dash into pieces. And their pregnant ones you will rip open. Then Hazael said, But what is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do anything of such magnitude? Elisha answered, Jehovah has shown me that you will be king over Aram. Then he departed from Elisha and went to his master who asked him, What did Elisha say to you? Because he was sick. He answered, He told me that you would surely recover. But the next day he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water, spread it on his face so that he died. Then Hazael became king in his place. And you need to read the verses before that to get the full story. And then we have Hosea. Is that up there? Chapter 14. Samaria will bear her guilt, for she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, their infants dashed to pieces, their pregnant women ripped open. This was prophesied to happen to Israel by their enemies. Not as part of Elohim's judgment, but as their enemy's evil and hatred. It's hard for us to understand, and it's in the news every day, how many thousands or how many hundreds of babies and children are dying every day in this war. And how Hamas is cutting babies' heads off and treating them with such evil and hatred. Yet Jehovah has shown us in his word that that's what the enemy will do. You dishonour me, you disobey me, you walk in the ways of the world. You become part of their gods and their worship systems. Those will become your lovers, and your lovers will end up hating you. And this is what they'll do to you. Because Satan takes over their minds and their hearts. And they had no idea how evil Satan was when he inspires men to be like him. That's what you can do when Satan's in control of your ability to do evil. You can do it for your own objectives and purposes. But Jehovah also declares that it will happen to their enemies in war. As we read in Psalm 137 of Babylon, the rivers of Babylon, in verse 7 it says, Remember, Jehovah, the children of Edom, what they said on the day Jerusalem fell, when Babylon took over. Strip her to the very foundations. O daughter of Babylon, the devastated one, happy is the one who repays you as you have paid us. Happy is the one who seizes your little ones and dashes them upon the rock. Hard for us to comprehend this kind of language. But I guess if we were brutalised and half thousands of us were killed by the Nineveh, sorry, Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar's army, men, women, children, old, young, mattered not. They were slain by the sword and the rest were taken captive to Babylon. And if you're the one sitting by the rivers of Babylon as captives and they're taunting you to sing us your songs of Zion, you servants of us, I guess you're going to rise up and say, Jehovah, almighty Jehovah, treat them like they treated us. Repay them back double for what they have done to us. In Nahum, chapter 3, verses 9 to 14. Verses 7 to 10. So it will be that all who see you will recoil from you and say, Nineveh has been ravaged. Who will lament for her? Where will I find comforters for you? Are you better than Noamon, situated among the channels of the Nile, water surrounding her, whose fortresses and wall was water? Cush and Egypt were her might, unlimited. Put and Libya were her allies. Yet she went off to exile among the captives. Even her babies were dashed to pieces. And at the head of all streets, they cast lots for her dignitaries. And all her great men were bound with chains. As tragic as these things are, they will be Satan's tactics and evil. And you will see these things happen in war. Be it because Israel is going to wipe out its enemy and they become collateral damage. They don't go out to kill babies and children, but it will happen because other nations have taken over. Because other nations have taken her captive and they're fighting for their very life and existence. And these calamities will happen and will come back to haunt the enemies of Israel for what they have done to her. And it doesn't matter how many hundreds or thousands of years ago some of these things happened. Retribution and judgment will always have its day in the economy and purposes of Jehovah. And as tragic as these things are, Jehovah will always raise up deliverers at the enemy's expense for the nation of Israel, his chosen ones. In Ezekiel chapter 25, verse 15, it says, Thus says Jehovah Elohim, Because the Philistines have acted in revenge and have taken severe vengeance with scornful soul, destroying in unending hatred, Therefore, this says, Thus says Jehovah Elohim, Behold, I will stretch out my hand over the Philistines. I will cut off the Cherethites, destroy the remnant of the sea coast. I will execute severe vengeance upon them with furious punishments, so they will know that I am Jehovah when I lay my vengeance upon them. Philistines, the Palestinians, the Gaza Rites are. The Palestinians are the very Philistines of today. Jehovah says, I will exact vengeance on them. I will bless those who bless my people and those who want to curse my people will be cursed. We looked at all of that last week. Do not defy the Almighty and his people or we cannot describe the pain and destruction that will come upon such a people. In Zephaniah chapter 2 verse 4 to 7 says what? Someone read it out for me. 2 chapter 2 verses 4 to 7. For Gaza will be abandoned and Ashton will be wasteland. Ashton will be driven out at noon and Ekron will be uprooted. We grant you, Inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of Chereth, The word of Adonai is against you. Canaan, the land of the Philistines, and I will destroy you until there is no inhabitants. The sea coast will become pastures with meadows for shepherds and foams for flocks. It's going to take a while. I will destroy you till no one is left. Israel says we will not stop till Hamas doesn't exist. We know they won't achieve that today. One more verse. What does the next verse say? The coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judea, upon which they will graze in the house of Ashkelon and lie down in the evening. For Adonai their God will visit them and return. That is called captivity. So that land will be returned back to Judah. It will be restored once again for them. So what is happening in Israel and Gaza today may be difficult to watch and to understand in the natural for both groups, for the Palestinians as well as the Israelis and as well as for us on the outside. It's difficult to watch and we have to see it through the eyes of scripture. Or you become just part of the bun fight. I'm for the Palestinians and I'm for the Israelis and no one has a solution or an answer to anything. It's just political and humanitarian. But you have to see it from God's point of view. Jehovah says that he will destroy his enemies and he will destroy his enemies. The word of Elohim of Israel by their prophets and by Yeshua and the apostles foretells of even greater wars worldwide with tribulation and much death and destruction still ahead of us. An unimaginable apocalypse lies ahead not only for Israel but the whole world will be impacted by it. The prophetic word is never wrong, never wrong. What is happening today has been prophesied for many, many centuries. It just has to be interpreted correctly. The word, the prophetic word of Jehovah has to be seen, understood and interpreted properly and watched closely for the signs of the times we live in. For they tell the time when the whole world will be looking at total annihilation. No matter what governments promise, no matter what politicians tell us, no matter what they reckon they can bring to pass and solve the problems and bring peace to the world. They make it worse, every single time. They open their mouth and lies come out. But the day is coming when we will be looking at total annihilation of this world, like it or not. Matthew 24, 21 to 24, we all know it well but for those that will listen to it that maybe aren't quite as familiar, will read it. Yeshua said, woe to those, we'll go there. For then there will be great trouble such as has not happened since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Tell that to the Japanese who had the bombs dropped on Hiroshima. That will cause a great trouble. And then there will be great trouble. who had the bombs dropped on Hiroshima. That will pale into insignificance. And unless those days were cut short, no one would be delivered. But for the sake of the chosen, the nation of Israel, those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, look, he is the Messiah or there he is, do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and show great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen. That's the midnight hour. When the world gets to that place where total annihilation is right there at the door and war is raging and the seals and trumpets and bowls are being poured out on the earth, that's the midnight hour. Midnight's a metaphor for the final judgment of Elohim on the world. In Exodus chapter 12, 29, and we'll read it. Did I say Exodus? What does it say? Yeah, okay. I thought I had a wrong reference there. It came about at midnight. And when you look at Scripture, Scripture always has reasons, especially in biblical interpretation. You always go back to the first place something was mentioned. If you want to know what the basis of something in the New Testament says or the prophets say, always find where that terminology was used the very first time and it will always give you an indication of what it means right throughout Scripture. And so at midnight, the angel of death comes and destroys the firstborn of all the Egyptians. Matthew 25, verses 1 to 6. Do they follow on or did I link them? That's all right, Matthew 25, 1. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, five were wise, for when the foolish ones took their lamps, they took no oil with them. The wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps. And while the bridegroom was taking a long time, they all got drowsy and started falling asleep. But in the middle of the night, can we say that's about midnight? In the middle of the night, there was a shout. Look, the bridegroom, the bridegroom, the bridegroom, come out to meet him. Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. And now the foolish one said to the wise, give us some of your oil, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Acts chapter 16, verse 22. Somewhere there. Then the crowd joined in the attack on them. We know the story. So the chief authorities ripped their clothes off them, commanded them to be beaten with rods, Paul and Silas. After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to guard them securely. Having received this charge, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to Elohim. And the prisoners was listening to them. Suddenly, there was such a great earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were unlocked and everyone's chains came loose. When the jailer woke up and saw, it's probably far enough. Yeah. It tells a story. There's no other story in the scripture where, or in the writings of the apostles, where such a cataclysmic event happened. When Paul, sorry, when Peter was imprisoned, an angel came and tapped him on the side and said, wake up, put your cloak on, took them out. The doors opened themselves, chains fell off and they walked out. And other times when they were beaten and come before the magistrates, et cetera, et cetera. But here, this time, it specifically says at midnight, Jehovah turns up. What happens? The jail is shaken. The prison is shaken to its foundations of an earthquake. Everybody's chains fall off. The prison doors everywhere are all opened. They can go if they want. It's prophetic. Right down the line, it is. Paul was a man of the end times. Paul tells us lots of things in Thessalonians and in Corinthians. He tells the stories of the end time and here Jehovah is using him at midnight. At midnight, I will strike. At midnight, my judgments will come. And so it's the metaphor of the end. It's a metaphor for the final judgment has come in the protection of my people and the unleashing of my judgments upon the earth that inflicted this upon my people. And so for the unbelieving world, that speaks of the end of civilization. The doomsday clock. At the beginning of each year in January, a group of specially selected scientists, they look at the world conditions and they make a judgment of where the world is at and how close we are to self-annihilation as a species. This then is conveyed to the world by the setting of what is called the doomsday clock. And it forecasts how close we are to midnight. Midnight being the time of self-destruction. And it's based on threats of nuclear weapons and climate change and pandemics and infectious diseases. They look at all these things and they look at how close we are to being wiped out as a civilization. The doomsday clock is symbolic of how close the world is to worldwide annihilation as seen by man. And at the moment, it's 60 seconds to midnight. It has never been this close to midnight. I think the widest, the furthest away from midnight it was, was about seven minutes going back into the 70s. And it's gradually creeping up till today they've got the doomsday clock. The annihilation of mankind, destroying themselves, is 60 seconds away from midnight. But Yeshua's parables and his words in Matthew 24, they're not symbolic words. They're prophetic. And his word is never wrong. So Matthew 24 is also telling us it's 60 seconds to midnight. And closing fast. And closing fast. But scripture, of course, gives us a lot more information and spells it out clearly and precisely with many indicators as to what to look for. So as not to get it wrong and to be caught unawares. So there's no pretense of how bad things are going to get. And how that if we can stop the planet warming and if we can stop doing this and stop eating so much wrong food and so we can get rid of all the cows so they stop farting. This is part of the story. Become vegans. The whole world must become vegans. Eat insects. Create your own meat out of, yep. All of this stuff. And if they've all got the answers and solutions of how to stop the world from destroying itself. Then everything fails. Epic failures. So, Jehovah's word is prophetic. It's not, it's unchangeable. And he says, this is how it's going to happen. And this is what's going to take place. That's exactly what is going to take place. And we don't need to be caught unawares. We don't need to be blinded. We don't have to listen to what man says and hope for the best. No, we know exactly what's going to take place and what to look for to know when it is taking place. And as an interesting side note, scientists tell us that in the event of a nuclear exchange or war, that Australia, New Zealand, Iceland and the Solomon Islands will be the most capable of producing food and to help reboot a collapsed human civilization because of less sunlight and colder days. Let everyone come to Australia. But that's Israel and the world today. But what about tomorrow? Israel, the nation is foundationed on eternal promises and covenants given by Elohim. And even he can't alter them or change them. In Hebrews chapter 6 and in verse 13 to 18, we read, and I've always loved this passage and I have preached on it at times. I don't know about here, but in the past I have. When Elohim made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself saying, surely I will bless you and surely I will multiply you. And so after waiting patiently, Abraham reached the promise for people swear by someone greater and the oath as confirmation is an end to all their disputing. In the same way, Elohim determining to point out more clearly to the heirs of the promise, the unchanging nature of his purpose guaranteed it with an oath. So by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. We have this hope as an anchor of the soul, both firm and steady, a hope that enters the inner place behind the curtain. Yeshua has entered there as a forerunner on our behalf, having become high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. I swore, I made an oath in my own name, it's unchangeable. Everything I've said will come to pass. My people will be blessed. The covenants and promises will be theirs. It will not be changed. There might be a big price getting there because of their abandonment of those things. But Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, will be the centre of a new world order called the New Jerusalem, the heavenly Zion, the kingdom of heaven here on earth. And Israel will rule over the whole earth with their messiah and bridegroom, Yeshua. That is unchangeable. That is coming to pass. And this is how it will play out on the world stage. If we go to Zechariah. Zechariah chapter 12, verses 1 to 5. A declaration of Yehovah who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the surrounding peoples when they besiege Jerusalem as well as Judah. Moreover, in that day I will make Jerusalem a massive stone for all the people. All who try to lift it will be cut to pieces. Nevertheless, all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against her. In that day, it's a declaration of Yehovah, I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with madness. I will keep my eyes on the house of Judah but will blind every horse of the peoples. Then the leaders of Judah will say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength through Yehovah to Zeveot of their Elohim. All surrounding nations who come together to besiege Israel will find themselves reeling or dizzy as an intoxicated people under the hand of Yehovah's judgment. Jerusalem will become a massive burdensome stone and all who try to lift it, carry it away, remove it from its rightful place, as found in scripture, its rightful place in the world will be cut to pieces. That's Yehovah's promise, I will bring all the nations that hate my people to come up against them. They will find Jerusalem and Judah a heavy burdensome stone. They will not be able to remove from its place or do what they want to do with it. They will be like drunken men confused and dizzy, the meaning of other meanings of that same word, and they will be cut to pieces. You can't move the immovable. The destroyers themselves will be destroyed. Daniel said that the kingdoms of men will be crushed to dust by the coming kingdoms of Elohim, can't change that. In verse 3 and 4 as we read there, Yehovah says, When all the nations are gathered together against Israel that I will strike every horse with confusion and its riders with madness. I will keep my eyes on the house of Judah, but I will blind every horse of the peoples. That's a description of the war machine and its operators, its soldiers and leaders will be in total confusion, craziness and blindness will inflict the nations that come. We've seen that happen in scriptures before. In chapter 14 of Zechariah verses 12 to 15. Now this is the plague with which Yehovah will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot while they are standing on their feet. Their eyes will rot in their socket. Their tongues will rot in their mouths. It will happen in that day that a great panic from Yehovah will be among them. Each person will seize the hand of his neighbour and they will attack each other. Even Judah will fight. At Jerusalem, the wealth of all the surrounding peoples will be gathered together, an abundance of gold, silver and apparel. A similar plague will strike the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey and all the animals in the camp. Is this a result of a nuclear strike or a plague of Yehovah? Sorry? Zombie virus. Doesn't matter how it comes, that's what's going to happen. Nuclear war, a zombie virus or a plague from Yehovah, that is going to be the devastation and result upon those who come to wipe Israel off the map. Panic and confusion will have neighbouring armies attacking and fighting each other. And the wealth of Rome, the Babylon of Revelation and all others will become Israels. Just as they were enriched coming out of Egypt, they will be enriched at the devastation and destruction of all these armies and nations. In the midst of this war, at Trumpet 5 and 6, in Revelation chapter 9, is what it's talking about. Then we have the arrival of Yeshua at the 7th trumpet when He saves them from total annihilation. He comes as the Saviour of Israel and the destroyer of the nations as was described above. And then we see the words of Zechariah come to life as prophetically declared in chapter 12. Have a look at chapter 12, verses 10 and 11. Then I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication, when they will look toward Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son and grieves bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there will be a great mourning and a great mourning In that day there will be a great mourning in Jerusalem, mourning like Hadad Ramon in the valley of Megiddo. Chapter 1 of verse 13, verse 1 of chapter 13. In that day a spring will be opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity. It will happen in... that'll do. So, the kingdom is being restored to Israel again. That's the promise of Jehovah. The disciples asked Yeshua at His first coming, Adonai, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time? And Yeshua in effect said to them, the time is not yet. The time is in the Father's control. You know, anyone who is silly enough to say they're a believer in God and His word and not to follow and read very carefully what He says, is going to face a lot of problems. In chapter 13, verses 7 and 9 of Zechariah, He says, Is that talking about the future of the Holocaust? I think so, yes. I think it's talking about exactly the same thing as we just looked at in the previous verses and passages. This is talking about Babylon and in other places in scripture it tells us the same thing. We find Jehovah saying that these nations ruling over or controlling and attacking Israel are His shepherds. He's using them to bring Israel discipline. That's why they went in captivity to Babylon. That's why they went into captivity to Assyria. That's why the Philistines came on them over and over again throughout the book of Judges. Jehovah raised up deliverers. He always raises up deliverers. And then they start worshipping idols and everything else again and so He brings them into captivity and uses those nations to discipline them. They become, as we read there, His shepherds or His shepherd to discipline His sheep. And He uses them to punish Israel and to scatter them as He said would happen. And in the end, two thirds will die. One third will be refined as silver and tested as gold. They will be the ones that we read just in the other verses calling on His name when His feet stand upon the Mount of Olives. Remember, at that point in time, the nation is just about to be annihilated and wiped out. The whole world is about to wipe itself out. And as Jehovah said in Matthew 24, if I don't come, if I don't put an end to it, that will be the finish of the world as we know it today. And He said, there is no war like this last war ever before nor ever will there be again. It's the worst ever seen, recorded, known or ever will be in the history of humanity. That's going to be a pretty devastating world to be living in at that point in time. And He is saying here in Israel, two thirds of Israel will be wiped out. One third will be left. And when they see my feet standing on the Mount, they will call out to me. They will mourn for me like a long lost child. They will call upon the name of Jehovah to save them. That is the point of desperation. And that's the point they have to come to in order to recognise the King of Kings. The one that's been rejected for 2000 years, they will see Him. He is exactly who He said He was. The one that we crucified 2000 years ago is the one who has come to save us. And we will call upon His name. So the scripture is very clear as to how this all unfolds and how devastation it's going to become. Yes. I'm sure that's the same message. Yes. Yes. Yes. When He returns. Which, yes, when He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, He came down the mountain, and they told him to be quiet. Can't you hear what these children are saying? Yes, and he says, I know, but the day is coming. They are foretelling the truth that I, and they will, you, this nation, this city will call out, blessed is he who comes in the name of Yehovah. Prophetic foretelling. Yes, same references. Yes, same thing, Danny. Chapter 14 verses 1 to 5 says, Behold, a day of Yehovah is coming, when your plunder will be divided in your midst. I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to wage war. The city shall be captured, the houses ransacked, the women ravished, half of the city will be exiled, but the remainder of the people will be cut off from the city. Then Yehovah will go forth and fight against those nations as he fights in a day of battle. In that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies to the east of Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a huge valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north and half it toward the south. Then you will flee through my mountain valley, because the mountain valley will reach to Israel. Yes, you will flee like you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, King of Judah. Then Yehovah, my Elohim, will come and all the Kedoshim with him. When he arrives, the resurrected will be resurrected and be part of that great climatic happening and intervention. Kedoshim means set apart ones. It means the believers, the ones who are the true messianic followers of Yeshua. Yes, Kedoshim means sometimes translated in your translation by as saint, as holy ones. But it means the set apart ones, the Kedoshim, Kedoshim. Yes, so when the disciple said, you know, is it time for the kingdom to be restored? Yeshua says, well, no, it's not time for the kingdom. He never said in those words, but that's what he said. That time is in the Father's hand. You've got to wait another 2000 years because there's a lot of history to be unfolded till we get to that point. And for most of Israel, that's not even a thought in their mind or an understanding of their future. They have no comprehension of the kingdom being restored to Israel. They don't think in those terms. They don't understand that what that even means. It's a foreign concept. Will the kingdom be restored to Israel? No, unless you're an Orthodox Jew or a Messianic believer, you don't understand that terminology or thinking. And an Orthodox Jew and a Messianic Jew in Israel is a very small percentage, a very tiny minority of the population. To the majority of Israelis, they are just another democratic nation that knows nothing about their Tanakh, their scriptures. They know nothing about their place in history or why they exist as a nation. But times like this Gaza war and the rise of anti-Semitism, you would hope that they would become more open to their history under King David. They would be more open to the truth of scripture and their Messiah. And we close with what Isaiah says about their tomorrow, about their future. In Isaiah 40 verses 1 to 5, a couple of minutes, and puppy will be happy. Isaiah 40, 1 to 5. Comfort my people, says your Elohim. Speak kindly to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, for she has received from Yehovah's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out in the wilderness, prepare the way of Yehovah, make straight in the desert a highway for our Elohim. Every valley will be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low. The rough ground will be a plain, the rugged terrain smooth, and the kavod of Yehovah will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of Yehovah has spoken. Wars will cease, judgments will be finished, the Shekinah of Yehovah's presence and reign will return, and all the world will see it. Isaiah 51, 1 to 8, close with that one. Listen to me, you who pursue justice, you who seek Yehovah, look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you, for when I called him he was but one, then I blessed him and multiplied him. For Yehovah will comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places, he will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of Yehovah. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and a sound of melody. Pay attention to me, my people, give ear to me, my nation, for Torah will go out from me, my justice as a light to the peoples. My righteousness is near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the nations. The coastlands will wait for me, for my arm they will wait expectantly. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath, for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die like gnats. But my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness never wane. Listen to me, you who know justice, a people with my Torah in their heart, do not fear the taunt of men, nor be dismayed at their insults. For the moth will eat them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation for all generations." They're powerful words, aren't they? And it would be the prayer of our hearts that every Israeli in this situation and circumstance would look at these scriptures and say, Torah, we have to believe, follow, obey and honour Torah and the God of Torah. Because that's what's going to go out to all the nations. And it can't go out to all the nations until that nation embraces it. And that nation will not embrace their Torah until they are judged to that place where they're nearly annihilated, and they come to understand their God and our purpose as a nation in the earth. And we looked at all of that last week. Their idol worshippers, their rave party was worshipping other gods. Tel Aviv is as evil and as wicked as New York City. And until Torah becomes their guide, their goal, their light, judgment is going to come. The word is clear. And Father, we pray that Israel and the hearts of many will be opened to the truth of your word. Father, we pray that the messianic believers there will have a voice. And that, Father, the miracles that you're doing and the salvations that are coming, and Father, the testimonies that appear will become multiplied over and over again until more and more people embrace the truth of who they are as a nation, who raised them up and where they came from, from what rock they were shewn, from what quarry they came out of. Abraham and Sarah is their rock, their quarry. They are the message, the life source, the reason for their being. Father, may they once again say, we must know our history. We must know our reason for being. We must fulfil our purpose in the earth. We pray, Father, that more and more will be blessed, watched over, protected, comfort your people in the mighty name of Yeshua, as they embrace the truth of their Tanakh, the truth of their Messiah, the truth of the apostolic men that went before them. May their hearts and minds be opened. And Father, may you use this to bring salvation and redemption to many more. In Yeshua's name, we give you thanks for the power and the truth of your word. Amen. Amen.