Bible Prophecy

The Desert Will Blossom

{image_1}“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom…” (Isaiah 35:1, NIV)

After seeing photos of the lush, green Galilee, an astonished friend once told me that she thought Israel was all desert. Well, Israel is not exactly all desert, but desert does make up almost 60% of the nation’s land mass. I expect she envisioned camel caravans making their way across endless dunes of sand, but, in fact, the desert of Israel is comprised primarily of rocky outcrops and mountains, deep craters, and dry riverbeds.

The Nations in End-time Prophecy

If you’re reading this, you are probably a person who loves Israel and has spent significant time looking at the prophecies of what God has in store for Israel and her people as we approach the end of the ages. Bridges for Peace is an amazing source of information about biblical and modern Israel, its land, its people, and its future. But this teaching letter is not about Israel. {image_2}This month, I’d like us to take a look at the biblical prophecies and current events as they relate to the other nations in the region.

The Harvests of a Fruitful Land

{image_1}The Bible describes the land of Israel in humble terms as a land of only seven species (Deut. 8:8): two grains and five fruits. However, despite being a land that is half desert, modern Israel produces 95% of its own food needs, has become a major exporter of fresh produce (especially citrus), and is a world leader in agricultural technologies. Though Israel produces over 40 types of fruit and groves abound, especially in the North, one can’t describe what the Land looks like without mentioning its vineyards and grey-green olive groves.

The Lost Tribes of Israel: Biblical and Historical Background

The Jewish people are unique among all the peoples of the earth. Their covenant relationship with God sets them apart, as does their adherence to the Torah (Gen.–Deut.). However, their ability to maintain their Jewish identity, the tenants of Judaism, and even unity as a people during millennia of dispersion and relentless religious persecution is unparalleled in human history.

The Return of a Lost Tribe of Israel to Zion

{image_1}We are living in extraordinary times. The hand of G-d in the affairs of man is evident, and there is no greater proof of this than the ingathering of the exiles from the four corners of the earth. “Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth,” declares the L-rd (Isaiah 43:6). Over the past sixty years, since the founding of the State of Israel, that is precisely what He has been doing, as Jews from Russia, Ethiopia, and elsewhere have all heard the sound of the great shofar [ram’s horn] and come to Jerusalem.

Why Israel Matters to the World

{image_1}Israel played a role in developing the cell phone; it has an important research location for the Intel computer processor; it’s one of the first nations to help disaster-struck Haiti; and it’s a world-leader in defense technologies. Yet, it’s a tiny country consisting of roughly 7 million people and a territory about the same as Wales, the state of New Jersey, or Kruger National Park in South Africa. Prior to recent natural gas discoveries, it was generally considered devoid of natural resources.

When I AM says I Will

 {image_1}Along with over a billion people worldwide, I watched the wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton.{image_2} It was wonderful to see the way God was a central part of their very Christian wedding. At the crucial moment in the ceremony, I clearly heard William and then Catherine say “I will,” and upon hearing those words of covenant, they were pronounced husband and wife. We pray for their happiness and that their commitment to one another will last a lifetime just as they pledged “till death do us part.” Happily about half of all marriages do last a lifetime. The other half sadly ends in divorce. It seems that many people today have a problem with commitment. Their “I wills” aren’t always forever.

The Days of Noah

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Have you ever considered that the violence, immorality, and uncertainty that surround us today are really nothing new? They have been the unfortunate companions of humanity throughout history. The Bible tells the recurring story of God’s judgment on such behaviour as mankind repeatedly slipped into depravity. There are, however, certain generations that have the dubious distinction of being singled out by the writers of Scripture as the worst of the worst. Noah’s was such a generation.

Signs of the Times

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Every news report we hear reveals another crisis, and it seems most areas of human existence are affected. Financially weak currencies, unstable stock markets, and overwhelming national and personal debt have many analysts theorizing that we are on the brink of a recession of a magnitude not seen since the great depression. Morally, we live in an age that would shock our grandparents. Then there is the threat of world war, as radical Islam confronts Western civilization. Physically, we see an increase in earthquakes, floods, tornados, and droughts. We are reminded of the words of Yeshua (Jesus): “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7–8).

Messiah

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Both Christians and Jews eagerly long for the coming of the Messiah. Yet, the topic of Messiah is one that has caused great division between Christianity and Judaism. The greatest dispute we have between us is the identity of the Messiah. As Christians, we know that Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) is the Messiah. Jews equally “know” that He is not the Messiah. The Jewish rejection of Yeshua as the Messiah has been a catalyst for Christian persecution of Jews throughout the centuries. What are the Jewish people looking for in the Messiah? Why did the Jewish people reject Yeshua? Did Yeshua claim to be the Messiah? I recognize that to adequately address this subject would require volumes, yet it is a worthy and important topic for even the length of a Teaching Letter.