Article source: JOY! Magazine
In a historic moment that left the world spellbound, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently delivered a prophetic speech at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. In this astonishing address, the significance of recent geopolitical developments was revealed, leaving no doubt that we are witnessing the fulfilment of ancient biblical prophecies. This address took place just one week prior to the brutal and horrific attacks that Hamas orchestrated in Israel, which further added to the fulfilment of biblical prophecy. One thing is for sure, Jesus is coming soon!
A dramatic parallel
What transpired during this speech has far-reaching implications that may reshape the entire Middle East, echoing the words of Moses over three millennia ago. Netanyahu began by referencing Moses, who spoke of two mountains, Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, representing blessings and curses, and how the choices made by the people of Israel would determine their fate. Netanyahu drew a parallel between that choice and the current moment, asserting that the world faces a similar decision between historic peace and prosperity or the horrors of terrorism and despair.
A warning from years back
Netanyahu’s address was a culmination of years of diplomatic efforts and vision. He reminded the world that he had long warned about the dangers posed by the tyrants of Tehran and expressed his belief in the possibility of peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours. He stressed that peace with the Palestinians should not be a precondition for peace with other Arab states, challenging the conventional belief that progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had to precede broader regional peace.
Aligning with Ezekiel 38
What was truly significant about the address was Netanyahu’s assertion that an overwhelming majority of the Arab world seeks peace with Israel. This aligns with biblical prophecies, particularly those in Ezekiel 38, which predict a time of security and prosperity for Israel before significant geopolitical changes occur.
Peace treaties in the Middle East
The crowning achievement of Netanyahu’s diplomatic efforts, over the last few years, has been the Abraham Accords, which led to peace treaties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. These accords marked a pivotal moment in history, fostering trade, investment, and cooperation across various fields, from commerce to medicine.
Netanyahu’s vision of peace
In his own words, Netanyahu shared his vision for the Middle East: “The Abraham Accords ushered in another dramatic change – it brought Arabs and Jews closer together. We see it in the frequent Jewish weddings in Dubai, in the dedication of a Torah School in a synagogue in Bahrain, in the visitors flocking to the Museum of Moroccan Judaism in Casablanca, we see it in lessons that are given to Arab students about the Holocaust. In the UAE, there’s no question – the Abraham Accords heralded the dawn of a new age of peace.”
A transformative Middle East
This geopolitical shift aligns with biblical prophecies of “unfenced cities” and sets the stage for the events described in Ezekiel 38. Netanyahu’s vision of a “new Middle East” echoed through the hall as he shared his belief in the potential for unprecedented economic prosperity in the region.
The promise and perils of AI
Netanyahu’s speech concluded with a forward-looking perspective on artificial intelligence (AI). He cautioned against the unchecked development of AI, emphasising the importance of ethical and responsible use. He painted a picture of a future where AI could solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges, from healthcare to transportation, but also underscored the necessity of preserving human values and empathy in the age of AI.
A call to action
In the closing moments of this address, Netanyahu invoked the timeless choice presented by Moses between blessings and curses. He called upon world leaders to join together, shape the great changes before them, and ensure that AI brings more freedom, prevents wars, and enhances the quality of human life.
We are living in the end times
As we reflect on this extraordinary moment at the United Nations, Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a vision of a new Middle East, drawing from biblical parallels and geopolitical realities. His speech underscores the profound shifts in the region and the potential for a future marked by peace, prosperity, and technological advancements. As the world watches these developments unfold, it is evident that we are living in a time of historic significance, where the past, present, and future converge on the global stage.
A NEW MIDDLE EAST
This is an extract from the address, spoken by Netanyahu:
“To understand the magnitude of the transformation that we seek to advance, let me show you a map of the Middle East in 1948, the year Israel was established. Here’s Israel in 1948, it’s a tiny country, isolated, surrounded by a hostile Arab world. In our 70 first years, we made peace with Egypt and Jordan, and then in 2020 we made the Abraham Accords peace with another four Arab states.”
“Now look at what happens when we make peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The whole Middle East changes. We tear down the walls of enmity. We bring the possibility of prosperity and peace to this entire region, but we do something else. You know a few years ago I stood here with a red marker to show the curse of a nuclear Iran. But today I bring this marker to show a great blessing – the blessing of a new Middle East between Israel, Saudi Arabia, and our other neighbours. We will not only bring down barriers between Israel and our neighbours, but we’ll also build a new corridor of peace and prosperity that connects Asia through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, to Europe. This is an extraordinary change, a monumental change, another pivot of history.”
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Date published: 05/11/2023
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To the Editor,
I begin by acknowledging that the article was written by the writer prior to the 14th of October Hamas attack on Israels border.
It is my view that Netanyahu used the UN platform as a basis to promote his political cause based on Biblical Foundations. In recent times Netanyahu has been fighting for his control of the Knesset under severe pressure from the opposition. What perfect timing to declare a state of war.
Israels political and funding allies particularly the USA are playing a power game of chess while innocent lives on both sides (pawns on the chess board) are bearing the brunt and suffering of this conflict to fulfil their own agendas.
I am sickened by the world powers both political, financial, and religious who fail to act decisively in providing humanitarian aid and assistance. What is taking place in Gaza and the West Bank is nothing short of a genocide by the IDF.
The writer’s intention is clearly to draw the readers attention to end time prophecies, however the only reference in the entire article to the Christian Faith is that Jesus is coming soon.
As a follower of Christ, I can reference multiple New Testament scriptures based on Jesus’ teaching and love for all humanity. WE are all equally created in the image of God irrespective of race, culture or religion and God sent Jesus to die on a cross as the final covenant of grace for all who will accept that grace.
Colossians 3 12?
12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord * has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Under Gods grace and through the gift of his son Jesus Christ we who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior are all God’s chosen ones. The Jewish people can no longer claim that title as their own.
Pray for all peoples suffering on both sides and acknowledge that God id ultimately in control!
Pastor Antony Tymvios
Well said, Pastor Antony – and thanks for your boldness to confront with truth and love. My prayer is for the veil over so many Christians’ eyes to be pulled back.
It grieves me to hear Christians condoning Israel’s actions today (and for the past 75 years) against the Palestinian people, based on the Old Testament, without Christ – where’s Christ in their constant ‘blessing’ of Israel? It sounds like Israel worship, not Christ worship.
It is also a deep concern that Israel’s behaviour towards the people living in the land is said to be ‘okay’ based on their “right to the land”, a “fulfilment of prophecy” and yet nothing is said about scriptures like (and this is one of many) Deuteronomy 30:1-3 where it clearly states: “When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes[a] and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.”
Israel in no way returned to God and obeyed Him in 1948.
Not only did they not return to God, they certainly did not fulfil His laws and commands regarding how they ought to treat the “foreigner” within the land, as they tend to infer regarding the Palestinians (as if they do not belong in Palestine).
What about Leviticus 19:33-34 (again, one of many): “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”
LOVE THEM AS YOURSELF – Christ came and showed us how to do this unbelievable, revolutionary kind of love.
Have the Palestinians in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank been treated as “native-born”? Does Israel’s “nation-state bill” which states: “the right to exercise national self-determination” in Israel is “unique to the Jewish people.” – does that treat any non-Jews within Israel as “native-born”, according to Leviticus? It’s convenient to quote Scripture (and in the process use it against others and out of context) to suit your own political ends, but not fulfil the commandments, laws and responsibilities that come with it.
People are dying (and have been dying for decades), being injured, traumatised, displaced, and dispossessed, and so many Christians constantly support and even encourage Israel to continue – to pulverise over two million people, based on a lie, and invoke God (through quoting scripture) as justification. What a travesty. This is not the God I love and serve, this is not the God who offered His only Son, Jesus, to die so we may live…this is not the God who, in Jesus, said all the prophecies are fulfilled in HIm. This Jesus, THE seed of Abraham, showed that all in Him, through the Spirit who raised Him from the dead, are Abraham’s seed and inheritors of so much more than the little piece of land that the modern state of Israel claims as their own.
Not one article in this special edition, which is entirely focused on Israel, depicts the sacrificial love of Christ (to Jews and Palestinians alike) – as Gal. 3:28-29 says so eloquently: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
So much more can be said….but those are my agonised sentiments and my pleas for Christians to look to Christ in all of this, not to Israel, it’s not God’s desire that any should perish – Jew or Palestinian. Where’s your heart of Christ, people? Where’s your ambassadorial responsibility to seek reconciliation between people, and in so doing direct them towards peace and reconciliation with God? Where are the peace-makers among you?
I pray for all in Israel, Jew, Christian, Palestinian, Druze and every other people group…my heart cries every single day for what goes on in this land.
PS – all the Abraham Accords were endorsed through ‘carrot’, incentives, and ‘stick’ by US – e.g. the US would only remove crippling sanctions from Sudan if they ‘normalised’ ties with Israel, the US promised Morocco they would acknowledge its ‘right’ to Western Sahara if they ‘normalised’ relations with Israel, and a key component of the proposed deal with Saudi promised further military might to Saudi Arabia. This, in my books, is a man-made ‘miracle’ not an ‘act of God’.
Dear Donnelly,
Thank you for your factual and Christ centred article. As I read the article I was personally uplifted in the knowledge that the burden placed on my heart by the Holy Spirit to intervene in any way possible in the tragic war that is taking place in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank is being shared by Christian brothers and sisters within the Body of Christ. I have not and will not take sides however the reality is undeniable that the people of Gaza and the West Bank are experiencing the suffering and brunt of this terrible war. Notwithstanding the fact that Israel has the right to defend itself, my personal view on what is taking place by Israel and the IDF is genocide.
As you so rightly stated the Middle East conflict has been going on for 75 years and days can be spent in debating the geopolitical context of where we stand today and who is right or wrong, save to say that political powers and politicians manipulated the outcome to suit their own agendas. From a biblical perspective Old Testament scripture has been selected to justify Israels actions which I can counter with many other Old Testament scriptures, however this is not my reason for writing this article.
Let me share my personal thoughts as to why Christians across the world are not standing up and denouncing what is taking place in Gaza and the West Bank. Most Christians excluding South America, reside in the Western Hemisphere and their worldviews are influenced by Western geopolitical, cultural, religious and biased media platforms. Their worldview of what is taking place in the Middle East has no impact on their daily lives. As a Christian my views are based in Christ and Gods word alone as to what is right and wrong and what my calling is in all circumstances.
We can discuss dispensationalism that emphasizes the literal interpretation of Bible prophecy and recognizes a distinction between Israel and the Church which is interpreted by different denominations.
Notwithstanding all the above and the prayer rallies currently taking place in South Africa for Israel and the Jewish nation, my earnest prayer is that Almighty God will prevail and open the eyes of the blind. Jeremiah 5:21 There is none so blind as he who would not see. “Hear this now, O “foolish people, without understanding, who have eyes and see not, and who have ears and hear not.”
Father God I accept that what is taking place is not of your making and find solace in your word. Isaiah 55:8-9 My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
My prayer Father God is that you will use me in any way you see fit to bring Christs, love, compassion and healing to the innocent men, woman, and children in this terrible conflict. Your will be done.
In the Mighty Name of Jesus
Amen
Pastor Antony Tymvios