• The Isaiah Wall - with Isaiah 2:4 verse - in the Ralph Bunche Park at the United Nations, New York, USA | Photo by Capt. Phoebus - Wikimedia Commons
Teachings

Seventy Nations

Rev Willem J.J. Glashouwer - 16 January 2017

Those who have followed the developments in the Middle East year after year will not have missed that in November 2012, the General Assembly – voting by a large majority (139 in favour to 9 against with 41 abstentions) – accorded Palestine ‘non-Member Observer State status’ in the United Nations. Since then, pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel resolutions follow each other in quick succession. The climax was the recent vote in the Security Council on the Jewish settlements in the Biblical areas of Judea and Samaria, in which America did not veto the resolution leaving Israel on their own. Because of the intended two-state solution: the division of the land. Later I will share about what the Lord thinks of this according to the prophet Joel.

It appears to be a victory in human rights, but in the deepest possible sense it means a reward for hatred and terror. It sacrifices the right of the Jewish people to live in peace and safety. The nations who voted in favour as well as the ones who abstained from voting are both responsible for this. And the Lord will not acquit anyone who assaults – directly or indirectly – His firstborn son Israel (Matthew 25:31-34,41).

The Nations of this world seem to have no idea whatsoever of the depth, the root and the heart of this conflict. They do not seem to realise that the leaders of ”the Palestinians” and their Islamist allies are simply out to destroy the Jewish State of Israel. These leaders and their allies do not acknowledge the legitimacy of the Jewish State of Israel. They are fundamentally not interested in a two-state solution. They have a very different agenda in the end: a Jew-free, entirely Arab Muslim state of Palestine, on the whole territory of present-day Israel, including the entire city of Jerusalem.

The currently proposed “Palestinian State” in Gaza, the West Bank and East-Jerusalem is only the first step of salami tactics: slice by slice, little by little. Ultimately, however, it involves the whole sausage. But if you believe the Bible, you know that they themselves will be the greatest victim of this one-day. The adopted November 2012 resolution did (yet again) not recognise the right of Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem, and wanted (yet again) Israel to withdraw back to the borders of 1967. It would give the “Palestinians” control over the entire Old City of Jerusalem, including Mount Zion, Mount of Olives, the Jewish quarter, the Western Wall, et cetera. According to UNESCO the ‘Temple Mount’ should not be called that anymore, but must be referred to by its Arabic name. So this official agency of the United Nations takes on the falsification of history by the Muslims. As part of the never ending ‘jihad’, the holy war, the Muslims suddenly declared that there never was a Jewish Temple on Mount Zion/Moriah, but that this mountain in the heart of Jerusalem has always been an Islamic “holy site”.

Under the Islamic rule of Israel in the past centuries the “Palestinians” showed no interest in Jerusalem for 1400 years. Only when the Jews started to return to the “Promised Land” in the twentieth century the Arabs became interested. Jordan illegally occupied the West Bank from 1948 until 1967, but even then the “Palestinians” did not claim Jerusalem.

Mahmoud Abbas declared several times that he would cleanse the entire territory of a future “Palestinian State” of all Jews, including East Jerusalem. “Ethnic cleansing” that is called. Back to the situation under the occupation by Jordan from 1948 until 1967. All Jews were expelled from the Old City and dozens of Jewish homes and synagogues were destroyed or desecrated – sometimes even made public latrines. Jewish and also Christian “holy sites” will no longer have the same protection they now have under the State of Israel.

Paris
About those division plans of the United Nations and of the seventy nations that assembled in Paris on Sunday January 15, 2017 to enforce a two-state solution and to dismantle the Jewish settlements so that Jews from this part of the Promised Land can be swept away – Ethnic cleansing – The Most High has a very clear opinion.

The prophet Joel says in Joel 3:1-2: “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to My inheritance, My people Israel, because they scattered My people among the nations and divided up My land…”

It will lead to a judgment of God over the nations in an unprecedented scale. Unfulfilled prophecies from the Bible speak of several wars that will come to the Middle East. Like e.g. Isaiah 17:1-2 that speaks of a total destruction of Damascus, the capital of Syria, that you can see on a clear day from the Golan Heights in Israel. Syria and the present war is daily news. But the total destruction of Damascus never took place in history. But that will happen one day, because the Lord says so.

Or Isaiah 19:16-17 where Egypt trembles for Israel because of what the Lord’s Hand will do against Egypt by the land of Judah (Israel). Or Psalm 83 with in it a first ring of nations around Israel with Assur = Iraq on the background – that jointly and unanimously say: “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”

And Zechariah 12 and 14 in which finally all nations – one could say today: the United Nations – will try to lift that awkward stone called Jerusalem. And what to think of the prophecy in Ezekiel 35 – 36:1-7 about Edom, the present day Jordan, that will be destroyed?

Or Ezekiel 38 and 39 containing a second, wider ring of countries around Israel (Syria and Egypt are not mentioned here anymore!), who suddenly want to wipe Israel off the map. With Turkey, the former Soviet Union and Russia in the background? An Islamic holy war, a jihad, against Israel?

“Gog and Magog” are mentioned here. In Genesis 10 we read how the 70 nations of the world came from the descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth – the sons of Noah. Those who are familiar with the numerical values of letters and words in Hebrew – the Hebrew language does not have numbers, but the letters of the alphabet are used to indicate numbers. Which means that every word has a numerical value. It is surprising to discover that the numeric value of Gog and Magog is 70: 3-6-3 and 6-40-3-6-3, which equals 70. The number 70 appears time and again in the Bible and Jewish writings. In addition to the seventy nations, languages and sacrificed oxen during Sukkot, Jacob went to Egypt with seventy souls, Moses appointed seventy elders, King David lived seventy years, and the Babylonian captivity lasted seventy years. According to the Rabbis, God has seventy names and there are seventy aspects to the Torah. And the numeric value of Gog and Magog also equals seventy! It is probably no coincidence that there were 70 nations meeting together in Paris, and it may have a deeper meaning. Is it the beginning of a disastrous development that will eventually drag along the whole world into conflict?

Whatever will happen: The LORD fights on the side of His people Israel. One day, the “power” of Allah and all the powers of darkness will be broken. One day, The Lord will act in favour of His people Israel so that all the nations will know Who is the One and only God: the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Creator of Heaven and earth, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Compared to Him all other “gods” turn out to be all false gods and idols. All is well that ends well.

How all of these political developments in the end will come to pass, one thing is absolutely sure: God’s Word will be fulfilled. It will lead to the coming of the Messiah of Israel, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. Then will be fulfilled what Paul writes in Philippians 2:9-11: “….Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!…”

About the Author