Persisting into its sixth month, Israel’s war with Hamas shows few signs of slowing down. The inevitable collateral damage of war, with all its devastating effects, mounts daily for both Israelis and Palestinians. Bitter castigation, increasingly violent, escalates against Jewish people across the earth. Riotous mobs of Palestinian sympathizers swarm city streets of democratic as well as Muslim nations, screaming death to the Jews. They threaten to disrupt daily life until Israel is forced to cease and desist–or as we will see momentarily, cease to exist.
We are compelled as Bible believers to discern accurately what is taking place and respond according to God’s Word and heart. And so we ask: From a biblical and historical perspective, what is the macro view of this ongoing war?
What much of the media does not report is that Israel is fighting an existential battle for her life against worldwide Islamic jihad, inspired and resourced mainly by Iran, but also fueled by globalist powers. Keep in mind that Hamas’ grievously ghoulish terror attack which initiated the war on October 7, 2023, was named the Al Aqsa (Temple Mount) Flood. Our enemies’ end goal was and remains the conquest of Israel as a Jewish state and worship of their mahdi (false messiah) on the Temple Mount.
Global jihad is rooted in the hellish fires of not only anti-Semitism, but anti-Christ powers. We have previously explained that anti-Semitism, which includes anti-Israelism, is inextricably tied to the spirit of anti-Christ. Both are interconnected with anti-God, secular globalist forces. This offers insight as to why and how God’s enemies have used the Israel-Hamas War to spark unprecedented levels of Jew hatred in non-Muslim nations around the earth. If these enemies are not quelled through spiritual as well as military warfare, anti-Christ powers will greatly intensify worldwide.
What we see unfolding today about Israel and the Jews is a (but not the) culmination of an Islamist driven, false Palestinian narrative of Jewish history. Aligned with Hitler during World War II, Palestinian Arabs adopted the Nazi propaganda strategy which taught that big lies repeated often enough are easier for most people to believe than small lies.
The big lies about Israel began shortly after she became a sovereign state in 1948. Seventy-five years later, the false narrative is now widely accepted by much of the world. Typically, it goes something like this: “Israelis are oppressive colonialists who cruelly stole and unjustly occupy Palestinian lands. Jews are an inherently evil danger not only to innocent and viciously victimized Palestinians, but the entire world.”
Consistent with the above, the near century-old Islamist-Palestinian slogan, “from the river to the sea,” is code-speak for the genocidal annihilation of the Jewish state. It refers to our enemies’ goal of overtaking all land between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, meaning all Israel. Appallingly, the slogan is now chanted around the world, even in traditionally Christian nations. Deceived Palestinian sympathizers ironically and disingenuously accuse Israel of genocide—when Palestinians are those who have publicly called, since the day of Israel’s miraculous rebirth, for her total destruction.
On the topic of genocide, it should be pointed out that for several months, large amounts of humanitarian aid have been regularly delivered to displaced Gazans. However, it is well known that Hamas operatives have commandeered and stolen most of it. After months of food, medicine and other essential supplies getting hijacked by Hamas leaders to use for themselves, displaced civilians began angrily rebelling and rioting. The situation is now one of tragic, chaotic lawlessness, far beyond Israel’s ability (or responsibility) to control. Other nations, themselves unwilling to risk the danger of ground deliveries, have taken to air dropping supplies into the rampaging mobs. But amid wild lawlessness, air dropping is proving unworkable. At this writing, plans are underway to build a dock at sea to attempt the delivery of aid.
Through history, innocent civilians displaced by war have migrated abroad as refugees. Very sadly, however, Gaza’s evacuees are unwilling or unable to be absorbed as refugees by any of the world’s forty-plus Muslim nations. Reasons relate to the generally unreported fact that Hamas has intentionally worsened, if not created, the humanitarian crisis. This was strategically done, in large part, as a public relations ploy to be used against Israel. Today the terror group publicly boasts they’ve achieved their goal: the world blames Israel, not Hamas, for the humanitarian disaster.
To fix the humanitarian disaster and reward Hamas for its attack of October 7, there is mounting international outcry to establish a second, sovereign Palestinian state. (Jordan was created decades ago as a sovereign Palestinian state. To appease the Arabs, it was carved out of land which, in full compliance with international law, the nations had actually allotted to Israel.)
“The nations rage and the peoples plot in vain…The kings of the earth take their stand and the nations take counsel together against the Lord.” (Pslam 2:1-2) Unless YHVH intervenes through nothing less than spiritual revival and the miraculous, given the escalation of anti-Semitism, particularly among younger generations and future leaders, could it be that yet another Jewish holocaust might occur in just a few short years? Or months? Or, to avoid the unthinkable, will the nations compel Israel to slice out of herself another Palestinian state? The way we understand the totality of Scripture, either scenario is possible.
My freely available book, Why Still Care about Israel? expounds on and extensively documents much of what I have shared above. It details God’s 20th century restoration of Israel, offering a thorough accounting of historical evidences. The book includes an honest and historically documented explanation of the Palestinian plight. I wrote it to foster love and concern for both Jews and Palestinian Muslims, not fear or hate. The text, relying heavily on God’s Word, prophetically speaks of realities unfolding today.
We strongly encourage you to read Why Still Care about Israel? if you have not already. If you have read it, we urge you to read the updated pdf available for free download on our website here. And please pass this link along to others!
Meanwhile, the war to annihilate Israel continues relentlessly both in the north with Hezbollah and in the south with Gaza. Daily in the east, Judea and Samaria undergo threats or actual acts of terror. Approximately 135,000 Israelis are still displaced. Please continue praying for Israel.
Here in Jerusalem, we have been temporarily spared from the fighting and devastation. But we know that could end any moment, probably sooner than later. At this writing, the month-long Muslim holiday of Ramadan (March 10-April 8) is fast approaching. Iran has publicly called for a new terror intifada, beginning this Ramadan, throughout Israel and especially targeting Jerusalem.
Ramadan and Purim 2024
During Ramadan, Muslims around the world fast unto Allah from sunrise to sunset, praying several times a day and recommitting to the dictates of Koran. Throughout the month, fiery sermons are preached calling for jihad against Jews and other perceived infidels. As a result, Ramadan has been a time of heightened and often horrific violence, especially in Jerusalem, year after year.
This year, Ramadan converges with the start of the last month of the biblical calendar, Adar 2. It so happens that on the 13th and 14th of Adar 2, corresponding to March 24, the biblical feast of Purim, which is based on the book of Esther, and the holiday of Palm Sunday, will also take place. (Another Jewish observance called Ta’anit Esther, a day-long fast based on the biblical fast of Esther, falls on March 21.)
Last week Iran issued a formal call for Muslims living in Israel to join with Islamist terror groups in attacking Jews wherever we can be found. Israeli security forces warn that Jerusalem could be a prime target of roving terrorist gangs – mostly by Muslim Israeli citizens and residents, but also by residents of the PA (explained below). The government admits it will not have the ability to defend against these widespread attacks, if they occur.
The PA, short for Palestinian Authority, was previously known as the PLO or Palestinian Liberation Organization. Occupying Judea and Samaria under the now defunct 1993 Oslo Accords, it has openly enabled and publicly rewarded terrorists since its inception. An apparent majority of nations seeks to grant it governance over Gaza in forming a second Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, with support by Iran, Hezbollah threatens to launch missiles targeting the entire country. This would mean full-scale war at a level that could prove near-apocalyptic. God will preserve Israel as a nation! But unimaginable harm to our people and damage to our national infrastructure could result.
Please join us in praying for the peace of Jerusalem and all Israel. As you know, the upcoming Purim holiday celebrates God’s miraculous, past deliverance of the Jews—from attempted genocide by what is modern-day Iran. May He deliver us again, even in our day!
If you need suggested prayer points, we recommend you start with the book of Psalms. Passages of nearly every psalm are highly applicable to the situation. Your prayers will make a difference, even the difference!
We encourage you to rise up in the Spirit, by grace, as an Esther or Mordecai. Like that heroic duo of old, you can fast and pray for God’s protection according to the covenant promises of His Word. You can speak out in your nation for truth. To start, you can re-post or forward this article to others.
May our Defender and King mercifully grace us with a Purim miracle this year. May many Jews and Palestinians turn to Him through Messiah Jesus this Ramadan. May God be glorified. Our hope is in Him!
On the Domestic Front
Recall that before war broke out our government was in a state of serious disrepair. Many Israelis passionately opposed our extremist right wing coalition—and sometimes, for good reason. Acrimonious protests were commonplace in Jerusalem and elsewhere.
Following the massacre of October 7, political differences were set aside. Temporarily.
Unfortunately, as the war goes on, more and more soldiers are tragically killed or seriously injured. Limbs are lost, bodies are permanently disfigured and families are destroyed. Approximately 130 hostages remain in captivity, some beyond any natural hope of rescue. In addition, most Israelis are deeply saddened by the suffering of genuinely innocent Gazans. Our nation is in trauma.
Families of hostages and their growing numbers of supporters are demanding that a deal–any deal—be made in order to see their loved ones brought back, dead or alive. Problem is, every offer Hamas has made insists on the release of hundreds or thousands of terrorists held in Israeli prisons for the murder or attempted murder of Jews. These prisoners openly declare they will kill more Jews as soon as they are released.
At this writing, Hamas’s response to Israel’s latest ceasefire offer was that they would not give Israel a list of names of hostages still held, or any indication of whether those hostages are alive. So any deal for the release of hostages may or may not be more than a drop load of corpses, and may or may not include all of them.
In the absence of a deal, more and more Israelis are demanding the current government resign and be replaced by a new coalition. They want a government that will quickly cut a deal with Hamas, regardless of the cost. They want Prime Minister Netanyahu gone. Not surprisingly, this escalating protest movement is reportedly resourced and heavily funded by global elites and advocates of woke ideologies.
We are not personally privy to high-level government intelligence or unreported political intrigue. So with faith in God and His Word, we steadfastly pray and proclaim His sovereignty over the discord. We praise Him above the heartbreaking sorrow, tumult and confusion, releasing the Word of truth over our people. We cry out to Him for mercy. Nothing is too difficult for God! “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13)