Is Israel Still God's Chosen People?
Although The Government of Canada has shown support toward Israel in the United Nations Assembly, it is unclear which position it should take regarding Israel's expansion of its settlements, especially after Israel's announcement that it was building 1,600 apartments in east Jerusalem.
Humankind has one huge flaw and that is we forget. We do not remember more than one generation at its best. After that historians debate and argue for the validity of supported documents to the point that any hearsay may be used as propaganda. That is the case concerning the ownership of Jerusalem. Palestinian Arab denial of the Jewish connection to Jerusalem has likely long-term implications. The Palestinian Arabs' self-evidently false history alienates their Israeli interlocutors even as it lays claim to sole rights over the entire city.
Here is an excerpt of a commentary by Daniel Pipes titled, “What Jewish Ties to Jerusalem?”
"By 1990, the Islamic focus on Jerusalem reached such a surreal intensity that Palestinian Arabs evolved from celebrating Jerusalem to denying the city's sacred and historical importance to Jews. The Palestinian Arab establishment – scholars, clerics and politicians – promoted this unlikely claim by constructing a revisionist edifice made up in equal parts of fabrication, falsehood, fiction and fraud. It erases all Jewish connections to the land of Israel, replacing them with a specious Palestinian-Arab connection.
Palestinian Arabs now claim that Canaanites built Solomon's Temple, that the ancient Hebrews were Bedouin tribesmen, the Bible came from Arabia, the Jewish Temple "was in Nablus or perhaps Bethlehem," the Jewish presence in Palestine ended in 70 C.E., and today's Jews are descendants of the Khazar Turks. Yasser Arafat himself created a non-existent Canaanite king, Salem, out of thin air, speaking movingly about this fantasy Palestinian Arab "forefather."
Palestinian Media Watch sums up this process: By turning Canaanites and Israelites into Arabs and the Judaism of ancient Israel into Islam, the Palestinian Authority "takes authentic Jewish history, documented by thousands of years of continuous literature, and crosses out the word 'Jewish' and replaces it with the word 'Arab'."
Does Israel have a right to exist? Who owns the land? Who owns Jerusalem? Is it Arab land? What is historical Palestine?
The Arab world claims Israel is an 'occupying power'. The Durban Conference, in its, modified declaration, makes the same explicit statement.
What about the claims of the Arabs to their homelands? The same British government that created the modern Arab world in 1920 at the San Remo Conference in Italy -- by decree -- also created a Jewish homeland the same way at the same conference.
And the Jewish Palestine of the Balfour Declaration as confirmed at San Remo encompassed a much bigger chunk of ground than Israel claims today.
We saw the global reaction when Iraq tried to undo the British freehand redrawing of the map of the Middle East when he reclaimed 'Province 19', or what the British have called 'Kuwait' since 1899.
It's important to remember also that Iraq was both 'Mesopotamia' and 'Palestine' until the British created the modern state Iraq, carving it out of a number of different Arab 'provinces' - there were no countries, just provinces of the Ottoman Empire. The British completely forgot to draw borders for Kurdistan.
The Kurds were no happier about it than were the Arabs of the Ottoman Empire whom the world now refers to as the 'Palestinians'. Nobody at the UN is calling for the redrawing of that map.
Three-fourths of what became Iraq were Assyrians of Mesopotamia who woke up one morning as 'Iraqis'. And where is the UN's indignation at Saddam's ethnic cleansing of the Kurds? Israel never wiped out any villages [Kurdish, Palestinian or otherwise] with poison gas.
Or is this all Jewish propaganda? Better tell the Arabs. Most of this is on the Arab-Net website, as well. They'll want to revise that.
And Jordan was created by the British in 1921 as Trans-Jordan. Is it not really Jordan at all?
What is really hard to find in history is the nation of Palestine. If we use Palestine as it was under the Ottoman Turks from 1517 to 1917, there is no Jordan, Syria, or Lebanon. I haven't heard of those countries offering to dissolve themselves and give the land to Arafat.
At the beginning of the 20th century, 'Palestinian' cities included Acre, Jerusalem, Amman, Damascus and Baghdad.
Syria was created by the British and subsequently given to France as the French Mandate. The Syrians declared independence after the British left in 1946, two years before Israel did the same thing. How are they different? They are both historically 'Palestinian'.
Either both the Arab Middle East and the Jewish homeland are equally valid, or equally invalid since both were created by the same power at the same time. You can't have it both ways. But facts don't seem to bother the UN or the Arabs much. It seems when facts get in the way, they are dismissed as 'Jewish propaganda'.
The Palestinians had Arafat to stand up for them. They don't need our help. Arafat's done quite a job at Durban. Israel was the only nation singled out for condemnation for its 'racist, genocidal practices'.
Maybe the concept that Jews practice 'racial superiority' doesn't bother the UN, but since I know Jews of virtually every single race -- including those from Arab countries, it does me. The main argument against Israel, from the Arab perspective, is that the Israelis stole the land from the 'native' people of the region.
First, the question of the 'native' people of the region. The Book of Psalms, chapter 137, penned three thousand years ago by a Jew [actually an 'Israelite' -- a play on words? I think not], says,
"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." -- Psalm 137:6
The Jewish sacred writings of antiquity refer to Jerusalem some 767 times, compared to the Koran, which does not mention it once.
Canadians don't like to remind themselves that we stole the land from the Indians, but nobody denies what a 'Native Canadian' is.
The only reason we aren't behaving as the Israelis are is because the Native Canadians aren't setting off bombs in Dominion supermarkets across Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec because we 'stole' them from their territories.
However, what do you think Canada's response would be if they did? Would the UN call Canadians a single 'race' in order to lay charges of genocide, racism, and ethnic cleansing against the Native Canadians?
Canada is the 'great melting pot' consisting of every race, creed, and religious perspective under the sun. So, too is Israel. Furthermore, Israel is the only democratic nation in the Middle East.
Any Arab argument about Arabs being second-class citizens in Israel is immediately counter-balanced by the record of human rights extended to Jews and Christians in Muslim countries.
The radical Islamists claim to be 'People of the Book' - the 'Book' being the Bible, including the Old Testament. Yet they say Israel has no right to exist as a nation. They should take a look into the 'Book' they claim to follow.
"Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever." Jeremiah 31:36
Israel has a right to exist, and they have a right to determine the terms of their own existence. They have the right to build 1,600 apartments in east Jerusalem.
What is the root cause of anti-Zionism? As you can see, Western nations have pre-justice toward Israel, and even many Christian denominations are being misled. Their understanding is based on "The Replacement Theology", which is the root of Anti-Semitism in Western nations. "Replacement Theology " is the belief that entered the early Church that Christianity superseded Israel, that God's blessings were for the Church and His curses for the Jewish people, and that all the covenants and promises of the Bible now belong exclusively to the Church.
The truth is the body of Christ (The Church) and Israel (the nation) have their purpose in the fulfilment of Bible prophecies. The Church's commission is to spread the gospel of salvation to Jews and Gentiles and to preach the Kingdom of God (Christ's return) to all nations as a witness. It is Jesus' special people of all nations and tribes. There was no mention of race or racial group before the eighteenth century. This terminology was a fabrication from the evolutionist, it purpose was to disassociate as far as possible from a God Creator. Tribe is biblically correct.
The Church is not commissioned to force conversion on the entire world but to call out a special group to Jesus whom He calls His bride. The restoration of the nation Israel is proof to the world nations that God loves Israel and informs the entire world that the end time of this world government system is at hand and that all nations will give an account of their behaviors toward the Jews worldwide and the nation Israel.
Here is an excerpt by Clarence H. Wagner, Jr. concerning the danger of "The Replacement Theology";
What Happens When the Church Replaces Israel?
1) The Church becomes arrogant and self-centered.
2) It boasts against the Jews and Israel.
3) It devalues the role of Israel or has no role for Israel at all.
4) These attitudes result in anti-Semitism in word and deed.
5) Without a place for Israel and the Jewish people today, you cannot explain the Bible prophecies, especially the very specific ones being fulfilled in Israel today.
6) Many New Testament passages do not make sense when the Jewish people are replaced by the Church.
7) You can lose the significance of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, for today. Many Christians boast of being a New Testament (NT) Christian or an NT Church as in the Book of Acts. However, the Bible of the early Church was not the New Testament, which did not get codified until the 4th century, but rather the Hebrew Scriptures.
8) You can lose the Hebraic/Judaic contextualization of the New Testament, which teaches us more about Yeshua and how to become better disciples.
9) The Church loses out on the opportunity to participate in God's plan and prophecy for the Church, Israel and the world today.
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I am a Christian who supports the right of the Jewish people to establish and defend a state in their historic homeland of Israel. Israel is God's Chosen People and not the other way around. It is not Israel that had chosen God.
One day in the late 19th Century, Queen Victoria of England reportedly asked her Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, this question..."Mr. Prime Minister, what evidence can you give me of the existence of God?" Disraeli thought for a moment and then replied, "The Jew, your majesty."
Denying God's existence is denying Israel the right to exist. In 1948, a long-awaited prophetic event came to pass. The Jews were given the right to exist in their own nation. Ezekiel 37. Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'
The Jews are God chosen people. There is no evidence to prove the contrary. Denial and rejection of God Truth. HOW CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN THE HATE GENERATED BY SO MANY NATIONS AND INDIVIDUAL TOWARD ONE INSIGNIFICANT COUNTRY "ISRAEL"?
As Christians, we are exhorted to comfort the Jewish people and to speak tenderly to them (Isaiah 4:1-2). We are commanded to speak out for Zion's sake and to be watchmen on the walls for Israel until the Lord "makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth" (Isaiah 62:1, 6-7). We are warned not to be arrogant toward the Jews (Romans 11:18). Furthermore, we are reminded that due to our spiritual debt to them, we should minister to them in material things (Romans 15:27).
In the Covenant, that God made with Abraham He promised to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse the Jews, and history is littered with the carcasses of nations who mistreated the Jews.
It is imperative that Canada disassociates itself from the Quartet's Road Map for peace and its Representatives which consist of United Nations — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, European Union — High Representative Javier Solana, Russian Federation — Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, United States of America — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Special Envoy — Tony Blair which, all have a very precarious agenda.
Israel is God's chosen people (Deut 7:6). The land belongs to God (Jer 27:5), for it is their perpetual possession (Lev 25:34) therefore He decides to whom it is to be awarded to.
There is a genuine reason for Canada's financial strength in this global economic crisis. The Canadian Government policies toward Israel under the leadership of the Great Hon. Steven Harper within it representation at the United Nations have been favourable in God's eyes. What is the secret of Canada's financial blessing? God does keep His promise made to Abraham. Gen 12:3. All nations will give account of their action toward the nation Israel and the Jews (Matt 25: 31-46). The Lord "will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." (Zechariah 12:9)
Joel 3:1-2 God Judges the Nations
“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. "
For a more insightful understanding of the above topic, I suggest that you read a book entitled " Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, by Ron Graft and Lambert Dolphin, available FREE in Internet version, http://ldolphin.org/kingdom.
I have preached to you, the gospel of the Kingdom of God as a witness. I invite you to accept the gospel of salvation, which is to believe in the One that God had sent, Jesus, so that whoever believes in Him may have everlasting life. That also is FREE.
May God in Jesus Bless the present Government of this great country that God had given us.
Ref:
Happy Birthday Israel - Dr. Richard Booker – www.watch.org
Ethnic Make-Up of 'Palestinians'. Extracts from: "Bosnia - Motherland of "Palestinians" by Manfred R. Lehmann and "Palestinians 'Peoplehood' Based on a Big Lie" by Eli E. Hertz.
The Real History of The Middle East - Jack Kinsella - www.omegaletter.com
What Jewish Ties to Jerusalem? - by Daniel Pipes - New York Sun