President Trump's announcement last December that the U.S. will recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move its embassy there was met with immediate consternation from many in the international community. Many argued the decision was counterproductive to peace in the region and warned it could even result in a further-destabilized Middle East.
Those feared were renewed this past week when protests in Gaza over the official U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem turned bloody. Over 50 Palestinians were reported dead, sparking condemnation from Israel's critics and causing anxiety about the potential breakout of a third Intifada.
An Unlikely Alliance
Among Israel's most ardent defenders, unsurprisingly, were Jewish groups around the world who say Jerusalem is the rightful capital of the Jewish people. However, another unlikely ally of Israel has emerged: evangelicals. Indeed, few cheered the embassy move louder than evangelical Christians in the United States.
John Hagee, founder of the Christians United for Israel (CUFI), called the president's decision a "bold and courageous stand." Hagee and other so-called "Christian Zionists" had been lobbying Trump to make good on his controversial campaign promise for months.
But why would Christians support more Israeli control over a city whose holy sites belong to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike?
**Biblical Prophecy
**
In their eyes, it's a crucial part of fulfilling biblical prophecy. Many evangelicals base their support for Israel on the notion (laid out in the Book of Revelation, as well as several Old Testament passages) that Jewish possession of Jerusalem especially the Temple Mount in East Jerusalem is a prerequisite for the eventual Second Coming of Christ. Therefore, they believe, Christians should do all in their power to support Israel and encourage it to take over full control of the ancient holy city.
It should be noted that not all evangelical groups align with this view. However, many of those who reject it still feel a deep kinship with Israel.
Fighting a Holy War
Theology aside, many Christians see Israel as an essential ally in a Judeo-Christian civilizational struggle (a holy war, if you will) against radical Islam. This idea has gained immense traction due to the rise of terror groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, who profess a desire to conquer not just the Middle East, but the world.
The Israeli government, meanwhile, has spent decades cultivating political and financial ties with American evangelicals, following waning support from more liberal American Jews and Protestants. Evangelicals, in turn, have supported the establishment of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories.
What Next?
The U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem, while perhaps ill-advised, obviously did not create three thousand years worth of resentment between Israelis and Palestinians, Muslims and Jews, Arabs and non-Arabs. Jerusalem is merely the flash point - the symbolic stick of dynamite all sides claim to hold the entire region hostage.
So, while evangelical Christian Zionists cheer the move and eagerly eye that biblical prophecy, the reality seems to be that more violence and conflict are inevitable before anything changes.
The Second Coming, until further notice, remains on the apocalyptic backburner.
25 comments
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Gary
What next is the question and the answer is to read your Bible Ezekiel 38,39 and we do need to be aware of Genesis 12:3
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John Owens
The article asks:
"But why would Christians support more Israeli control over a city whose holy sites belong to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike?"
It then proceeds to give a possible explanation. I would like to quote the following from Lazer Lloyd, an Israeli blues guitarist with whom I communicate:
"...the truth is coming out from Gazans...about how...the majority of those killed... were armed Hamas activists and for every ounce of innocent blood that is caught in the crossfire and mayhem, we are crying over it and not celebrating as the other side does when things are reversed...and unlike the Palestinians, Jews don't celebrate the death of...enemies-- they (the Palestinians) celebrate and give out candy when terrorists kill innocent civilians..."
This mindset, this attitude is why many believe Jews need to be in control of Jerusalem. Not Muslims, Not Christians. Jews.
I imagine the Temple shall be rebuilt at some point in the future, and the daily sacrifice re-instituted, but I believe an international or European force will occupy Jerusalem eventually, if only for a short while. The most diligent of scholars has a very limited understanding of prophecy and the diligent are very few and far between.
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The Doctor
Oh owen owen owen. Who are you to even comment on scholars and their persuit, you who buy into silly conspiracy theories like Obama not being born in the U.S.
Nor would any actual christian that understood the history of their faith side with Jews as the two faiths are not at all from a logical perspective meant to co exist.
Christians say the ancient hebrew prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus and his actions. But one of the key parts of that prophecy is that there is world peace united under one person. That is where the idea of Jesus's second coming came from as only by saying he has never really yet finished his life time that the prophecy is still in play.
The Jews actively dismiss and decry Jesus as being the messiah, Which is fine, I do to. But you cant really ever be an ally with someone that sees your faith as being based on a false messiah.
Funny enough several hundred years before jesus another man came far closer to matching the criteria of the messiah. He is commonly referred to as Alexander the great. Sounds cray cray right?
Lets see the bullet points.
- Fathered by the divine creator.( Many stories surround the upbringing of alexander and the night of his conception. Some said his mother was seen laying with a serpent, a common form favored by Zeus.
2.Had no need to fear man nor beast.( The story about him taming his beloved horse that no other man could ride fits that one pretty nicely)
Would conquer through wisdom rather then blood shed.( The tales of how alexander would allow city states to surrender with only those in power committing honorable suicide to protect their families from shame fits that one pretty nicely)
Would spread enlightenment and unite the lands in his life time.( Ok didnt quite manage that one but alot closer then christians ever have under any leader in any era)
So for those who need an imaginary daddy in the sky to keep them in line and give their life meaning fine whatevs, but no form of faith or culture last longer then the last human and we are doing a damn good job of wiping ourselves out.
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John Owens
Oh, Keren, Keren, Keren, who are you to call doubt in a dubious, document which conflicts with later documents a silly conspiracy theory? Let me ask you, did Wasserman-Shulz and the DNC CONSPIRE against Bernie Sanders? Yes, or no? Did agents of the IRS CONSPIRE against conservative groups, to prevent their tax-exempt status, yes or no? Do Russians STILL conspire to keep US citizens arguing among themselves, yes or no?
Allow me to remind you of the meaning of "conspiracy".
CONSPIRACY, crim. law, torts. An agreement between two or more persons to do an unlawful act, or an act which may become by the combination injurious to others. Formerly this offence was much more circumscribed in its meaning than it is now. Lord Coke describes it as "a consultation or agreement between two or more to appeal or indict an innocent person falsely and maliciously, whom accordingly they cause to be indicted or appealed and afterwards the party is acquitted by the verdict of twelve men." (Webster's)
(Law) An agreement, manifesting itself in words or deeds, by which two or more persons confederate to do an unlawful act, or to use unlawful to do an act which is lawful; confederacy. (also Webster's)
You try so hard to make ME sound crazy because I think YOU are naïve and deceived. Please try to be less caustic.
There is more reason to DOUBT Barry Soetoro's birth certificate than there is to believe it, his later use of that name being ONE reason. Calling himself an exchange student is another. I think if you were rational, you would realize that, and be less virulent in your criticism.
As to who am I to comment on scholars and their pursuits, that is a silly question. I have a more relevant one for you: If you think they know so much, why do you not believe them?
I know, FROM LONG LIFE AND OBSERVATION, that those who seek to predict the future on a world-wide scale with any detail are inevitably proven wrong,
As to the Jews and Christians: most Christians are just useful idiots to the Jews, but it makes the Christians feel good to say they are pro-Israel and all that, and if you were an Israeli, you wouldn't turn down the money they send, or their tourism dollars, nor their political support. Most Christians do not understand that there were 13 tribes of Israel (Yosef being split into two- Ephraim and Manasseh), and the Jews only represent 3 tribes-- Yehuda, Benyamin, and Levi. Because of the pagan influences in Christian Orthodoxy, the Christians are almost completely blind when they read the scriptures they claim to follow, so they are just flailing around, really.
That world peace, if it really comes, will come when God (Christ) comes as a Conquering king, which is what has been prophesied. The Christians claim to preach a gospel about Christ and His sacrifice. Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God, which very few churches actually teach.
Either way, until that happens, we are the stewards of the world, and doing a piss-poor job with it, in most cases. I wish we could reason together on what is good and fair and healthy and desirable, and then work together to make those things happen.
There are forces, whether spiritual or emotional, I cannot say or prove, that keep us clawing and hissing at one another for little or no reason. Whatever their source, they ARE sinister, and we must struggle against them.
T'Keren, your biting remarks are not pleasant, but they do make life more interesting. I hope you have a weekend that refreshes you.
Until Monday, Sayonara; Arrívederci, Aloha, Dasbedanye, Paalam, Shalom, Salaam, Zaigaseyo, Zai Jian, Au Revoir, Adiós , Auf Wiedersehen , Mar Sin Leat, G'bye, Cheerio, Ta-ta!
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James Grainger
Here is another point of view: I don't think that over half the christian (evangelicals) even know a Jewish family and if they did; they wouldn't invited them to dinner. Therefore, it has always amazed me that we Americans have supported Israel with the vim and vigor that we do. The Jews and Muslims could solve this problem today, if they were only willing to compromise. Here is a solution: split Jerusalem down the middle, give the west to Israel and the east to Palestine. Areas that are scared to both become neutral ground. Keep in mind that the vast majority of both sides just want to live in peace, it is only a very small minority that want to keep things stirred up.
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Professor
Here is a description of a Jew.
Joh_8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
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Dan
If you ask me, the Israelis should just build a better wall.
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Professor
Oh, you mean that wall of Fort Antonia that was never part of any temple, where the Jews simulate having sex with the Shekinah?
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John Owens
No.
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XaurreauX
They believe that Armageddon is coming and if people have to die for Jesus they'd much rather have it be Jews.
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Christian
IF the Biblical Middle East comes to its violent end, hopefully most other rational people will be enjoying drinks on the beach far away, watching the sun set.
Fortunately HUGE swaths of EARTH were never mentioned in the Bible and are completely immune from harm.
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John Owens
Just because they are not mentioned by their modern names does not mean they are not mentioned.
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John Owens
Isaiah 49:12 "...shall come from the North and the West..." Just coincidentally, if one draws a line from Jerusalem toward the northwest, it goes across North America, but many times the North is mentioned, and the East, and the multitudes on the other side of the Euphrates. The South is mentioned, along with the world ruling empires. Of course, Antarctica is basically left out, but so is California, unless you consider that it contains a city with 7 mountains, which are mentioned in connection with the great whore of Revelation, although, that obviously meant Rome, in one sense, and the G7 nations in another.
Jeremiah 31:10 " Hear ye the word of the LORD, o ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off..."
Isa 49:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
Just some passages I find interesting.
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Professor
It is sad that most Christians are duped by the Serpent People who dare to call themselves, Rabbi. Jew is not a race of people, it is a belief in the Talmud which Jesus said was the religion of Satan. People hate Jews because of what they do, not because of what they believe. They are not a persecuted people. They are a hated people because of what they do. They are not even Semites. They are liars like their father. He was a liar from the beginning. He will deceive the world, even the very elect. Does anyone actually read the Bible or do you just believe what your told about the Bible and the Talmud. Jews will continue to murder their way to building the third temple but it is not God that they will worship there, it will be Satan. One more note, that six pointed star they call "The Star of David" is actually "The Star of Satan". Nowhere in the Bible will you find a reference to a Star of David. The Star of Satan is a very fitting symbol for the Serpent People.
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Lea Weisenbach
Professor...Your perspective is of hate.
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Professor
2Co 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2Co 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
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Lea Weisenbach
I'm happy with to move. I feel our embassy Wil be safe..I hope...But with the Muslims taking over with hate..There is not much space left. At least Jews and Christians are working together.
I read a comment that the Jews are not a race...Yes they are...plus a religion...The blood line is in my family and we are not Satan..As always call someone Satan and you can hate...Read your bible with an open mind . Its nothing more than a book and the words of man..There are other old tex other than that bible..
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Professor
Jew is not a race, it is a made up religion that Jesus condemned. Ashkenazi and Sephardic are a race, neither of which are Semite. How about you actually study. Today, you get an F.
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John Owens
All our presidents for the last thirty years have been saying they were going to move the embassy to Jerusalem. I don't see what's the big deal.
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William Waugh
The big deal (I think) is; since the discovery of the Nag Hamadi documents the established world religions realized thier own beliefs were all just books. Resulting in a rush to generate an Armageddon on earth before the masses learn it's all bulk!
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bakoa
History lesson people,
Imagine if someone came to your home town and declared that "This land you live on that has been in your ancestry since the beginning of time no longer belongs to you but belongs to a people who have never inhabited it EVER. Then they force you off your land via violence, murders and assassinations while the whole world stands by and watches, even applauds. They sansion your people if you fight back and label you terrorists.
Prior to 1926 Israel did not exist. A band of Jews made their way in the English Government and the Balfour Declaration of 1926 was born creating the existence of a country that never should have come to be while seizing the lands of another people. Such is the Abomination of the Existence of the state of Israel. If you are behind this or against Palestine you are definitely on the wrong side of History either by ignorance, by hate, or by indoctrination. Either way supporting any of this is contributing to Genocide and the eradication and extermination of an entire people no different than what the Nazis did to the very perpetrators, the Jews.
"The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government during World War I announcing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a minority Jewish population (around 3–5% of the total). It read:
His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.The declaration was contained in a letter dated 2 November 1917 from the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. The text of the declaration was published in the press on 9 November 1917.
Immediately following their declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire in November 1914, the British War Cabinet began to consider the future of Palestine. By late 1917, in the lead up to the Balfour Declaration, the wider war had reached a stalemate, with two of Britain's allies not fully engaged: the United States had yet to suffer a casualty, and the Russians were in the midst of a revolution. A stalemate in southern Palestine was broken by the Battle of Beersheba on 31 October 1917." Taken from Wikipedia.
Educate yourselves before you buy into some strange and criminal agenda
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Professor
This report gets an A. Ben is a person who is actually studying.
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Christian
People killing each other over mythology is very counter productive.
If Israel has the land, and does not plan on giving it back. The former owners should be paid A LOT of compensation so they can ALL MOVE $$$$$ and buy new beautiful homes someplace very nice. And still each and everyone have several hundreds of thousands in the bank.
War is harmful, no one wants to be hurt.
Make people rich and they will probably be less unhappy.Hurting People is bad. No one enjoys being hurt.
Buying and selling real estate should not be so violently complicated.
Jesus the Master Teacher based His short life on peace and love. Those self righteous Christians should be afraid of the rath of God for Jesus to come back and see what a disaster our world is in that is the result of these horrible, non caring people!
You have it right the , self righteous their rewards,to judge others is to condemn one self Romans 2:1-5 The return of Christ will be to judge Acts 17:31 He will judge the world 1 Corth. 4:5Therefore judge nothing .