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Being a Christian interested in prophesies, the times we live in now and the world wide events we are witnessing sure makes for some deep thought.
But firstly what is a Christian? Let me rather give you my viewpoint. What I perceive a Christian to be. Because I want to present my viewpoint on the Israel / Palestine conflict, my Christian viewpoint. And let's ad the Russia / Ukraine war as well as the war/extermination of Christians and other religious minorities by ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Firstly let's start with God. God is God. He is everlasting. God does not lie or backtrack on His promises or covenants.
For some reason God decided that he would form a covenant with Abraham. Abraham became the father of the Jews. (I think this is where Jew, Muslim and Christian will agree. - Funny thing is that these 3 religions agree on a lot of things. To understand the difference in these religions one has to note the major disagreements)
Remember Abraham? He had a son born called Isaac when he Abraham was at a very old age. Abraham was called God's friend because he trusted in God. Abraham even so trusted God that he was prepared to sacrifise Isaac on a mountian. He even made Isaac carry the wood which was to be used to burn him after Abraham would have killed him. Abraham proceeded up the mountain . Why? Why would Abraham kill his son? He trusted God to the point where he believed that God would raise Isaac from the death.
Christians believe that this scenario was repeated when Christ was crucified for the sin of all mankind. So that those who believe in Him (Jesus) will have everlasting life. (The Bible is full of these patterns where history is repeated. Like when the roman soldiers put a crown of thorns on Christ head as He was being crucified. This can be likened to when King David put the crown of the king of a slain enemy on his enemy. ) Christians should recognise that the thorns represent the curse on this earth after Adam and Eve sinned and was banned from paradise. The wages of sin is death. Christians believe that death was beaten when Christ was crucified.
Another prophet recognised by the three major religions (Jew, Muslim and Christian) was Moses. Before Christ was born God gave the Jews laws to abide by. The 10 commandments. The first commandment was that you must love God with all your heart and the second that you must love your neighbour as yourself. In my viewpoint a "real Christian" is someone who automatically fullfil these first two commandments. Surely then this world lacks "real Christians"?
Christ did question whether he would find faith when He returns. Christians believe that Jesus will return to earth one day. Christians who study and understand Bible prophesy believe that this day is near.
Prophesy is the act of foretelling the future. The nature of prophesies is that it is understood in part. It is not having a blueprint cast in stone about what , when and how but rather a glimpse.
The Muslims agree that Jesus was a prophet. Today in the western world where for centuries people enjoyed religous freedom people have forgotten who Jesus is or was if you like. The Christian religion is not growing but declining. This Jesus predicted or prophesied about the end of times and what this world will be like before He returns. These include that there will be wars or rumours of wars, pestilance and eartquakes. He told a special parable about the fig tree. In Bible prophesy the fig tree represents Israel. Christ said that the generation who witnesses the fig tree blooming will still be alive when He returns the second time. It's my Christian viewpoint that in 1948 when the country of Israel was reborn the fig tree bloomed.
Christianity has its roots in the Judaism. Christians believe that Christ was rejected and crucified by the Jews for the benefit of the gentiles (non Jews) . Christians believe that by having faith in Jesus one receives forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. This is an act of faith. It can be likened to God who reckoned Abraham to be a friend because Abraham trusted in God. Today many Christians struggle with this concept of salvation. They often want to ad to it the law, the 10 commandments given to the jews by God trough Moses.
Jesus did say that He did not come to change one Iota (dot) of the law. This He specifcally said to emphasize how dire one's situation is when attempting to earn salvation, to not trust in God but to try out of your own abilities by thinking one can fullfill the 10 commandments.
So what does this little piece of history have to do with all the wars and the Israel / Palestine conflict?
EVERYTHING!
I believe we are witnessing the day of reckoning coming ever so closer day by day.
God has never backtracked on his covenant with the Jews. They are still a blessed nation. A Christian will know not to curse Israel or the Jews because God said that He will curse those who curse Israel.
Does this mean that I believe that the Jews can make or break as they wish with no regard to the lives of innocent woman and children?
Yes Hamas launches rockets from Gaza and Israel retaliates with force killing not only the guilty but most definitely also the innocent. Not all people being killed are muslims. Allthough a minute minority there is also Christians living in Palestine as there is Christians living in Israel.
Being a Christian I do believe that one must love your neighbour as yourself. The Jews should believe that as well since they have the 10 commandments.
The Israeli government and military often publicy defend there actions and viewpoints on television. One never hears the voice of HAMAS on mainstream media.
The truth about the radical muslim religion can be witnessed by the atrocities committed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria. A radical muslim will never accept and live in peace with Christian or Jew. They want to see the extermination of the country of Israel and all it's people. That's an incovenient truth for all the Palestine huggers in the world.
The Jews have a long history of being in and out of Israel. Do you remember that song " By the rivers of Babilon " .
The Bible foretells or prophesies about the Jews once again being attacked and driven out of their land in the final days before Armageddon.
True to the nature of prophesies we only know in part, we only see a glimpse.
We are witnesses of the setup of the final days and the final judgement.
Another condition or prohesy by Jesus of when He will return is rapidly being fullfilled. His gospel of salavation trough faith in Jesus Christ needs to be spread across all the world. Another song needs to be sung all over the world. (Mary's Boy Child / Oh my Lord - Bony M).
The gospel of Jesus Christ is beautiful. His teachings unbeatable. Today still Christians are being killed and persecuted and yet the faith remains strong. The world remains quite. I don't think the American government are now acting on ISIS to protect the minorities but they are acting to protect their interests in the oil fields of the region.
Jesus came and taught radical things like turning the other cheek. We were taught to pray for forgiveness of our sins as we forgive those who sin against ourselves. A "real Christian" will never condone the killing of innocent woman and children yet a "real Christian" will never curse Israel.
My personal viewpoint is that God gave the country of Israel to the Jews.
From Wikipedia
Abrahamic covenant[edit]
Main article: Covenant of the pieces
The Abrahamic covenant found in Genesis 12-17 is known as the Brit bein HaBetarim, the "Covenant Between the Parts" in Hebrew, and is the basis for brit milah (covenant of circumcision) in Judaism. The covenant was for Abraham and his seed, or offspring,[5] both of natural birth and adoption.[6]
In Genesis chapters 12–17 three covenants can be distinguished based on the differing Jahwist, Elohist and Priestly sources.[7] In Genesis 12 and 15, God grants Abraham land and descendants but does not place any stipulations (unconditional). By contrast, Gen. 17 contains the covenant of circumcision (conditional).
- To make of Abraham a great nation and bless Abraham and make his name great so that he will be a blessing, to bless those who bless him and curse him who curses him and all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abraham.[Gen 12:1-3]
- To give Abraham's descendants all the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates.[Gen 15:18-21] Later, this land came to be referred to as the Promised Land (see map) or the Land of Israel.
- To make Abraham the father of many nations and of many descendants and give "the whole land of Canaan" to his descendants.[Gen 17:2-9]
- Circumcision is to be the permanent sign of this everlasting covenant with Abraham and his male descendants and is known as the brit milah.[Gen 17:9-14]
Covenants in biblical times were often sealed by severing an animal, with the implication that the party who breaks the covenant will suffer a similar fate. In Hebrew, the verb meaning to seal a covenant translates literally as "to cut". It is presumed by Jewish scholars that the removal of the foreskin symbolically represents such a sealing of the covenant.[8]
God, being God, never backtracks on covenants.
God is an inconveniet truth for many people the world over. God is blamed for wars caused by humans. Meanwhile God created everything beautiful and in harmony (nature in balance) .
The whole world will turn against Israel and the armies of the world will gather around Israel to attack. That's the armageddon prophesied in the Bible. The inconvenient truth is that the world is heading for a showdown.
A a Christian we are to continue to spread the gospel of peace. Not peace between man and man. This would happen automatically if there would be peace between man and God. This peace is to be found trough faith in Jesus Christ. This is the duty of every Christian. The only new law that Jesus brought was that we love one another.
As a Christian I should be more concerned with this message than working for world wide peace. A world where humans resolve all wars and conflict and we have peace. The Bible speaks of a man that will appear to bring world wide peace and he is given the name of the anti christ. This is the same man that will lead the armies against Israel at Armageddon.
That is when Christ will return to himself defeat the anti christ.
As mentioned the prohesies in the Bible are not meant to give an exact account of things to come but only a glimpse.
If I wanted to write a theological piece I should quote Bible verses etc. I am just trying to make sense of it all from my Christian viewpoint.
Me and you do not need to know exactly how the future will unfold. It's more important that you consider your words.
Words when you bless and curse nations or people. We will be judged by the words we speak.
There is a life after this life. Do not be concerned only about your wellbeing in this lifetime. It will soon be over in the blink of an eye. And then?
