ISRAEL UPDATEJuly 4, 2004 – One of the presumed reasons for the Arab / Islamic nations of the world to be against Israel is the idea that they are in pursuit of the purest of Islamic ideals in an Islamic controlled area of the world.
But to date, Egypt, Jordan and Syria are not what you would call pure Islamic bastions of fundamental belief – such as Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The same could be said of Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf area nations that are “basic” Islam – not ultra extreme.
Yasser Arafat, The supposed voice of the Palestinian people, is Islamic enough to quote the Quran about jihad (holy war); however, he hardly lives the sacrificial Muslim lifestyle…
Saddam Hussein sought to return Iraq not to the days of Mohammed and Saladin, but to the days of Nebuchadnezzar’s Mesopotamia.
While we could offer several more examples, the real issue is the hatred of Israel and their desire for her total destruction.
This is due to strict adherence to Islam and the Quran – because in this book they can find justification for an excessive lifestyle and a license for violence.
Strict adherent or loose follower, the Arab world lives by the Quran. “Prepare whatever resources and troops you must and terrorize the enemies of God” – this includes Israel (the little satan) and the United States (the great satan).
July 4, 2004 – There is a cry of desperation that came from the father that pleaded with Jesus to help him, “L-rd, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.” Matthew 17:15
Since this story takes place in the area of Israel around the Sea of Galilee, it gives us two definite spiritual keys.
First, Isaiah 9:1 tells us the Messianic ministry would be in the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.
The region north of Galilee was a hotbed of pagan idolatry and occult worship – making the passage in Isaiah 9:2 even more clear. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”
The borders of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali intersect at the city of Capernaum and Galilee beyond the Jordan. This places the father of the lunatic where Jesus lived and carried out His ministry.
The prophet not only described the geographical proximity, but also the ungodly spiritual condition of the people as well.
Josephus, the Jewish historian, verified this 700 years later as he described this very area as the most evil place on earth.
As we further explore the relevance of this prophecy in light of New Testament fulfillment, it will only continue to reinforce the accuracy of the Scriptures and their application to our lives.
To be continued…