THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Introduction

Shortly after I woke this morning (Monday 24th June), this thought came to mind: Jesus is a Jewish man and the Son of God. He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and all power and authority has been given to Him. Surely, He must be deeply distressed by what He is witnessing in the World and, in particular, in His native Israel.

Israel faces intransigent enemies that are determined to destroy her. It does not take much research to discover that Israel’s adversaries do not want a two-state solution, unless that can be used as a stepping stone towards achieving their frequently stated goal; the annihilation of Israel. The lies of murderous apocalyptic Muslim terrorists have been accepted by much of main-stream media, without due diligence, and broadcast as facts. This worldwide outpouring of terrorist propaganda has done much to encourage the antisemitic and anti-Zionist hatred that is now prevalent in society.

So why doesn’t Jesus deploy legions of angels to end the fighting and, in showing His omnipotence, bring the world to its senses? The answer is in Matthew 26:54: “But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled”. Jesus made it abundantly clear throughout His ministry that scripture is sacrosanct, and all prophecy will be fulfilled. The time for His return is soon but not yet.

God’s Love for Israel

God’s love for Israel is unequivocal and everlasting. He keeps His Word: Israel’s existence, hope and future are based on the promises and covenants made with and through the patriarchs and prophets (Gen 12:1-3; 15:18; 17:8; Deut 30:1-10; 2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:33-37; Jer 31:31-33). Israel is the apple of God’s eye (Zech 2:8)

Accepting that scripture is sacred and inviolable leads to a number of challenges. For example, the Bible clearly shows, in Genesis 12:3, that God will bless those who bless Israel and curse those curse Israel (note, it does not say: only if Israel behaves in a way that we deem appropriate). I have a burden of concern for the huge number of people who are cursing Israel: Lord, they know not what they do. Unwittingly or otherwise, their words and actions demonstrate an allegiance to Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44) and the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12: 10-12).

Even more worrying is that many of those who curse Israel profess to be Christians – that can only be a tenable position for those “Christians” who do not accept the authority of the Word of God (the Bible), and/or if they believe in replacement theology, i.e., that God has transferred His covenant blessings from Israel to the church. That, and any other interpretation, requires the dismissal/ignoring of swathes of scripture that indicate the everlasting nature of God’s love for, and covenants with, Israel

The Elephant

The tiny nation of Israel is constantly in the news, antisemitism is rife, and there are grounds for believing that many of the prerequisites for the war against Israel, described in Ezekiel 38 and 39, are in place.

Many people are supporting an anti-Israel cause that they have not researched and do not understand (and don’t seem to want to understand). As mentioned above, many are cursing Israel and are unaware that to do so is very unwise.

We all know that Israel is the focus of the world’s attention, is surrounded by her enemies, and is a central aspect of our faith and hope. Jesus will return to Jerusalem to take His throne as King of the Jews. Nevertheless, much of the church is avoiding the subject. Is it too sensitive, too controversial (and hence potentially divisive), too difficult, or deemed unnecessary? This large and obvious problem goes to the heart of our Christian convictions and, in particular, our belief in the authority, accuracy, necessity, sufficiency and integrity of the Bible.

Not discussing these fundamental issues is THE elephant in the room.

Neil Mackereth, 24 June 2024

PS (RB, news 9 July):