Positioning in the Mideast

When you consider Bible prophecy and the scenario of what will occur at the time of the Rapture of the Church, the Tribulation period, and the second coming of Jesus, you cannot look beyond the nation of Israel.  God's prophetic timetable centers around the Jewish people and the geographical region that we call the Middle East.  Jesus Himself taught in Luke 21:
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.
21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it,
22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.

Ezekiel 38 speaks of an alignment of nations that will come against Israel at the beginning of the Tribulation period - and that framework is coming to fruition even now.  You can see references to nations that occupy the current regions of Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others. Israel is in the middle of it all - just as God spoke it.

While the events of October 7, 2023 - two years ago today - might not be considered THE Ezekiel 38 event, it certainly is a precursor and shows the associations between the enemies of Israel.  While Hamas led the charge, since then, conflict between Israel and that terror group, another group, Hezbollah, and the nation of which those two are proxies, Iran, has intensified.  

Negotiators have been meeting in Eqypt to attempt to hammer out the details of a peace plan involved the region of Gaza, from which the Hamas attack on October 7 originated.  BBC reported: "The talks come after Hamas agreed to some parts of a 20-point US peace plan, including freeing hostages and handing over Gaza governance to Palestinian technocrats, but is seeking negotiations on other issues...," and added, "The group's response did not mention the key demands of its disarmament and playing no future role in Gaza's governance."

The recurring problem is that Hamas is not a good-faith negotiator.  A CBN article stated:

Hamas says it may need time to collect the 48 hostages, only 20 of whom are still believed to be alive.

Other hurdles include Hamas reportedly demanding that Israel release prisoners they have refused to free in the past, including Marwan Barghouti, convicted of multiple murders during the Second Intifada that began in September 2000.

The terror group also wants a role for the Palestinian Authority in ruling Gaza, another condition Israel has rejected.

Meanwhile, the network of Christian leaders supporting Israel continues to expand. American Christian Leaders for Israel recently announced a structure of Partner Networks to " stand united in advocacy for Israel and against unprecedented antisemitism in the United States."

On its website, ACLI noted:

Spearheaded by the USA Branch of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ USA), ACLI is a coalition of over 3,000 Christian leaders. This new initiative to also include Partner Networks has greatly enhanced the reach and potential impact of this collaborative coalition formed in 2015. Together, these Partner Networks represent thousands of leaders spanning every state and a broad spectrum of denominations. From a wide array of pastors’ networks to Christian broadcasters, lawmakers, and interfaith alliances, this coalition reflects the broad diversity of the American faith community. United under the ACLI banner, these partners are actively amplifying the biblical call to bless Israel and combat antisemitism at a time of intensifying hostility.

Susan Michael, ICEJ USA president and ACLI founding director, said: “Our mission at ACLI has always been to unite the power of our collective voices to stand with Israel and against antisemitism,” adding, “The launch of the Partner Networks will enable us to act with greater unity, speed, and impact when Israel and the Jewish people face threats. This is not only about policy—it’s about answering God’s call to amplify truth amid a flood of misinformation, promote justice, and affirm our biblical convictions.”

ACLI and other organizations have also called for recognition of the areas of Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, to remain under Israeli authority, a part of the historic geography of the region.

And, there is a sizably smaller group of so-called "Christian leaders" that have issued a statement condeming Israel and promoting the Palestinian cause., who have spread misinformation about Israel and denounced what they call "Christian Zionism." The Christian Post reported: "More than 100 American Christian leaders and faith-based organizations have signed a declaration opposing the war in Gaza that accuses Western Christians who support Israel of using Zionism to justify the oppression of Palestinians." This occurred at the Church at the Crossroads conference last month.  The article says that this consortium included progressive Christians such as Shane Claiborne, Preston Sprinkle, Soujourners President Adam Taylor, Jemar Tisby, and Phil Vischer, in their declaration. The article said: 

"As a sign of "repentance in action," the signatories vowed to challenge Christian Zionism, a theological view that affirms God's covenantal relationship with the Jewish people and their providential connection to the land of Israel. The document argues that beliefs like Christian Zionism justify harming Palestinians, contending that these views damage Christian witness.

The Philos Project, a pro-Israel nonprofit organization promoting Christian engagement in the Middle East, contends that Christian Zionists are often grouped with Jews and Israelis as scapegoats because the position is seen as unpopular.

In its statement to CP, the nonprofit asserts that Christian Zionism is not in the minority "among most Americans of goodwill."

The Philos Project also noted, "...the widespread persecution of Christians in places like Syria or Egypt is often met with silence. The gravest challenges for Christians in the Middle East do not come from Israel, but from the pressures of living as a vulnerable minority within majority-Muslim societies..."

So, there are overtures of peace once again in the Middle East, and I would hope our U.S. leaders would not compromise and stand against the creation of a Palestinian state or give into the demands of terrorists.  We commemorate this two-year anniversary of the dreadful attack on Israel by Hamas, setting off an initiative to eradicate this terror group, that fights in an unconventional way and places citizens supposedly under its control in harm's way, using foreign aid to stockpile weapons and showing disregard for the innocent.

The Bible teaches us that we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  The nation of Israel today occupies land granted to it by God, in His covenant with Abraham.  We are partnered with the Jewish people through Abraham - even though many of them do not embrace Messiah, we can continue to regard Israel through the mindset of honoring a promise-keeping God.  As an act of worship, we should turn our eyes toward Israel and realize how God is working to preserve His people.