A commentary which was published in the LA Times today, with the title "Israel has Iran in its sights" was very interesting and revealing. According to the author, Micah Zenko, who is a fellow in the Center for Preventive Action at the Council of Foreign Relations, September will be a pivitol month in terms of Israel and the Iranian nuclear facility situation.
Article Here
Quotes:
"Iran has until late September to respond to the latest international proposal aimed at stopping the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapon....But if diplomacy fails, the world should be prepared for an Israeli attack on Iran's suspected nuclear weapons facilities. As Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently acknowledged: 'The window between a strike on Iran and their getting nuclear weapons is a pretty narrow window.'"
"If Israel attempts such a high-risk and destabilizing strike against Iran, President Obama will probably learn of the operation from CNN rather than the CIA. History shows that although Washington seeks influence over Israel's military operations, Israel would rather explain later than ask for approval in advance of launching preemptive attacks."
Also in this commentary, the author goes back and reviews similar Israeli actions in the past (1956, 1967, 1981 and most recently, 2007 when a Syrian facility was destroyed) and concludes, "Should Tehran prove unwilling to meet the September deadline and bargain away its growing and latent nuclear weapon capability, we can expect an Israeli attack that does not require U.S. permission, or even a warning."
This fall is shaping up to be very interesting.
For September, we have the "Obama plan" being revealed for the Middle-East, possibly at a UN speech as rumored and now we see this September deadline looming for Iran - a deadline which will most likely determine subsequent Israeli actions.
In October and November, we should know if the Lisbon Treaty will be ratified for the EU, a treaty which will finally, formally consolidate the "power positions" within the EU, creating a "Permanent President" and a very powerful "Foreign Policy" position. During the fall season, we will also have the answers regarding the Swine Flu and what it will actually do - will it be the severe pandemic (crisis) that many fear, similar to 1918? - or will it be just another typical seasonal flu? We should also know how safe or unsafe the vaccine is, as this fall progresses.
Prophecy watching should be quite interesting in the coming months. All in God's time and all in God's will.
Maranatha!
Senin, 31 Agustus 2009
Minggu, 30 Agustus 2009
In the news...
There are several interesting news articles out this morning, all under the category of "The headline says it all".
"Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel is destroying peace bids"
"Hezbollah Readies for War as UN Can Only Observe"
"EU Foreign Policy Chief Solana arrives in Syria for peace talks"
This last article is of interest because we expect the final peace plan, as brokered by the antichrist, to come from the revived Roman Empire, aka the EU/Med Union. For years many prophecy watchers speculated on Solana's role, as he is responsible for foreign policy coming from the EU, and is a very powerful figure in EU politics. I personally don't believe this theory (the theory that Solana could ultimately become the antichrist), as the Bible is clear that the Church will have been removed before the antichrist brokers the peace plan for Israel and her neighbors; therefore, on that premise, those who are destined for the Rapture would never know the identity of the antichrist. For this reason alone I am reluctant to speculate on the identity of the antichrist (although it does make for some interesting dinner conversations). Additionally, I have always felt that Solana is becoming less and less powerful as the EU completes the Lisbon treaty, plus, he has made overtures that he will retire soon.
Having said that, it is always interesting to watch the EU's role in the comprehensive peace plan which is currently being prepared for the region. The month of September should be very interesting because a major push for a definitive peace plan in the Middle-East is being discussed within the UN, as well as Obama's plan which is stated to be revealed in September.
Keep your eyes open for these discussions during September as they could prove very revealing; the closer we get to "the" peace plan in the Middle-East, the closer we get to the beginning of the Tribulation, and therefore, closer to the Rapture of the Church. That certainly gets my attention. Its that simple.
"Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel is destroying peace bids"
"Hezbollah Readies for War as UN Can Only Observe"
"EU Foreign Policy Chief Solana arrives in Syria for peace talks"
This last article is of interest because we expect the final peace plan, as brokered by the antichrist, to come from the revived Roman Empire, aka the EU/Med Union. For years many prophecy watchers speculated on Solana's role, as he is responsible for foreign policy coming from the EU, and is a very powerful figure in EU politics. I personally don't believe this theory (the theory that Solana could ultimately become the antichrist), as the Bible is clear that the Church will have been removed before the antichrist brokers the peace plan for Israel and her neighbors; therefore, on that premise, those who are destined for the Rapture would never know the identity of the antichrist. For this reason alone I am reluctant to speculate on the identity of the antichrist (although it does make for some interesting dinner conversations). Additionally, I have always felt that Solana is becoming less and less powerful as the EU completes the Lisbon treaty, plus, he has made overtures that he will retire soon.
Having said that, it is always interesting to watch the EU's role in the comprehensive peace plan which is currently being prepared for the region. The month of September should be very interesting because a major push for a definitive peace plan in the Middle-East is being discussed within the UN, as well as Obama's plan which is stated to be revealed in September.
Keep your eyes open for these discussions during September as they could prove very revealing; the closer we get to "the" peace plan in the Middle-East, the closer we get to the beginning of the Tribulation, and therefore, closer to the Rapture of the Church. That certainly gets my attention. Its that simple.
Sabtu, 29 Agustus 2009
Better late than never
After years of covering up the truth, the UN finally gets on board.
"UN: Iran nuclear program may have 'military dimensions'"
Oh really? Ya think?
Quotes from the article:
"...the IAEA report states that Iran may be working towards acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. The report was issued just prior to the annual meeting of IAEA member states which is scheduled to convene next month in Vienna."
"It has become evident that Iran has confirmed, albiet implicitly, that it carried out experiments in order to test the process known as 'detonation', a key stage in the development of nuclear weapons."
Then, in another article we see another typical day in Israel, firmly in the category of "News you can't find in the main-stream-media":
"Qassam strikes southern Israel amid growing border strain".
Quotes:
"Palestinian militants in the northern Gasa Strip fired a Qassam rocket into the western Negev early Saturday. The rocket hit an open area on the Sdot Negev regional council."
"The Qassam, fired at around 6:00 A.M. was one of several incidents along Israel's border with Gaza..."
Just another typical day, here in 2009. Missiles fired into Israel. Iran continues their nuclear weapons program while their leaders call for the complete destruction of Israel.
"UN: Iran nuclear program may have 'military dimensions'"
Oh really? Ya think?
Quotes from the article:
"...the IAEA report states that Iran may be working towards acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. The report was issued just prior to the annual meeting of IAEA member states which is scheduled to convene next month in Vienna."
"It has become evident that Iran has confirmed, albiet implicitly, that it carried out experiments in order to test the process known as 'detonation', a key stage in the development of nuclear weapons."
Then, in another article we see another typical day in Israel, firmly in the category of "News you can't find in the main-stream-media":
"Qassam strikes southern Israel amid growing border strain".
Quotes:
"Palestinian militants in the northern Gasa Strip fired a Qassam rocket into the western Negev early Saturday. The rocket hit an open area on the Sdot Negev regional council."
"The Qassam, fired at around 6:00 A.M. was one of several incidents along Israel's border with Gaza..."
Just another typical day, here in 2009. Missiles fired into Israel. Iran continues their nuclear weapons program while their leaders call for the complete destruction of Israel.
Jumat, 28 Agustus 2009
End Times Wars: Sequence of Events
For a variety of reasons, Psalm 83 and its prophetic view of a war in the Middle-East is receiving much attention within prophecy circles. Basically, Psalm 83 outlines a war between Israel and the surrounding nations, which does not include the Russian-Iranian alliance which is the cornerstone of the "Gog-MaGog" invasion of Israel described in Ezekiel 38-39. Therefore, the prophecy of Psalm 83 appears to involve a different and separate war from the one described in Ezekiel 38-39. Many folks believe that the battle/war of Psalm 83 will precede the "Gog-MaGog" invasion, perhaps even leading into this battle described in Ezekiel 38-39.
I believe this is quite possible, however not for the reasons typically stated. I see a few flaws in the argument around Psalm 83 and the basis for it's descriptive war preceding Ezekiel's prophecy.
The mistake I see, is the attempt to fit current events into prophecy, rather than to understand the prophetic scenarios given biblically and simply watch to see if/when they transpire. In this case, there seems to be an (unnecessary) need to show that Ezekiel's predictions from chapter 38-39 are NOT imminent. For some reason, I keep reading that in order for Psalm 83 to be imminent, then Ezekiel 38-39 isn't imminent. This is an unnecessary (and to me inaccurate) view for the following reasons:
- Ezekiel 38 stated that Israel will be living "securely" and with "unwalled villages". Arguments being made that Ezekiel 38-39 is not imminent, include the idea that currently, Israel is NOT "living securely" nor "unwalled" therefore Ezekiel 38-39 is NOT imminent. (Again, keep in mind, this premise isn't even needed to make the case for Psalm 83 as preceding Ezekiel 38-39).
I disagree with this premise. First of all, Ezekiel 38:11 states that Gog will invade Israel when it is a land of "unwalled VILLAGES" - or current day cities. The argument being made is this: Israel currently has a single, 400 mile wall that runs north and south in order to aid in the fight against the "homicide bombings" that had been occuring. The problem is, this wall doesn't represent a single "walled village" or city as the scriptures demand. In fact, there are no "walled" cities anywhere in Israel (excluding the old city of Jerusalem, which is now only a historical artifact, with no defense purposes). In fact, the thought occured to me, if you were to show Ezekiel modern day Israel, his first question would probably be "where are the walls?" Back in Ezekiel's day, all of the cities were surrounded by walls, for defense purposes. Today, not a single Israeli city is surrounded by walls. So to me, this (unnecessary) premise is clearly incorrect.
Additionally, folks will argue that Israel is NOT living "securely" now, thus, Ezekiel 38-39 is not imminent. I beg to differ with this premise as well. Israel now has the strongest military in the region, by far. Not even close. Israel's technology, their aerial dominance and their nuclear capability gives Israel security like they have never had throughout the history of the Bible. Folks will reference the various homicide bombings and the missiles that come in from Gaza, to prove otherwise - however, overall, the citizens of Israel now live very "securely" - backed by the dominant Israel IDF- as contrasted with past eras in Israeli history. So I disagree with this premise as well.
To be fair, I have heard arguments that "Gog-MaGog" can only occur after the anti-christ implements his peace plan in the Middle-East and grants temporary peace and "security" in the region as described in 1 Thessalonians 5. I can see this point - its a good one thats hard to argue against.
The main point: I believe both Ezekiel 38-39 AND the war described in Psalm 83 are BOTH imminent. There seems to be a need by folks to diminish the imminence of Ezekiel 38-39 in order to prove that Psalm 83 is close. I don't understand this approach. These two events are not mutually exclusive - in fact, I believe that they are closely related. As mentioned many times before, I believe that once that powder keg is ignited, then all subsequent events will occur immediately; thus, if Psalm 83 serves as the "trigger", then we'll see subsequent prophetic events, including the complete destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17) and the invasion of "Gog-MaGog" occuring in rapid sequence.
This all leads to the main point of this post. Below is a very well-done article by David Reagan, who outlines a potential prophetic sequence of wars in the Middle-East. I happen to agree that his view is quite possible, just not necessarily for the specific reasons stated (those that involve Ezekiel 38-39 not being imminent). But it doesn't matter. They can both be imminent (as I believe they are), and still fit into this sequence. Here it is full link here: [[ Note: I suggest going to the link, if you are interested, as its MUCH easier to read, and it contains some interesting pictures...The link did not transfer well to this blog and is difficult to read, but I included it anyway]]
The Wars of the End Times
How many and when will they happen?
by Dr. David R. Reagan
Every time a war breaks out in the Middle East, I receive a flurry of phone calls and email messages asking if it could be the War of Armageddon. This question is prompted by the fact that most people are familiar with only one end time war — the one that has been popularized in movies and novels as the "Battle of Armageddon."
The concept comes from the book of Revelation where it says that armies will gather in the end times at a place "which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon" (Revelation 16:16). This term literally means the Mount of Megiddo and refers to the ancient fortress of Megiddo that controlled the Valley of Jezreel. In English the word was transliterated as Armageddon, and the term came to be applied to the Valley of Jezreel which lies in front of Har-Magedon, running diagonally across Israel from Haifa to the Jordan River.
Most people are surprised to discover that there is no reference in the book of Revelation, or any other place in the Bible to the "Valley of Armageddon," nor is there any reference to the "Battle of Armageddon" — but more about that later. People are even more surprised to learn that Bible prophecy reveals nine wars in the end times and that Armageddon relates to only one of these.
The Next Prophetic War
Most prophetic scholars have long believed that the next great end time war will be the War of Gog & Magog that is described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. This, for example is the stated position of Joel Rosenberg in his popular book, Epicenter. This war will start when Russia invades Israel with certain specified allies, all of whom are Muslim nations today.
But I seriously doubt that the conflict described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 will be the next war of end time Bible prophecy. There are two reasons why I feel this way.
First, there is a condition for the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 that has not been met. Three times in Ezekiel 38 — in verses 8, 11, and 14 — it states that the war described in that chapter will not occur until the people of Israel are living "securely" in "unwalled villages."
Israel is not living in security today. It is bombarded daily by missiles from Gaza, and it is constantly under the threat of missile attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon. There is also the ever present threat of terrorist attacks, a threat that has forced Israel to construct a 400 mile long wall down the center of the country. In short, it is laughable today to even think of the Jewish people of Israel as living "securely" in "unwalled villages."
The second reason I doubt that the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 will be the next end time war of Bible prophecy is because the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38:5-6 as the allies of Russia do not include a single Arab state with a border adjacent to Israel. The nations identified are Persia (Iran), Cush (most likely modern day Sudan), Put (Libya and possibly Algeria and Tunisia), and two regions that lie within modern day Turkey (Gomer and Bethtogarmah). There is no mention of the nations that share a common border with Israel — namely, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Gaza.
Why are the nations located next to Israel not mentioned as allies of Russia? I believe the best explanation of this mystery is the one supplied by Bill Salus in his book, Isralestine. He proposes that the next end time prophetic war will be the one described in Psalm 83, a war between Israel and its neighbors. He believes this war will produce the conditions that are necessary for the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39, and I agree with that conclusion.
With that point clarified, let's now take an overview of the end time prophetic wars in their likely chronological sequence.
1) The War of Extermination — Psalm 83
The psalm states that the immediate neighbors of Israel will launch a war for the purpose of "wiping out Israel as a nation" (verse 4). The nations described as being a part of this nefarious effort are those with a common border with Israel today (verses 6-8). The rest of the psalm is a prayer for the victory of Israel (verses 9-18).
The outcome of the war is not stated, but we know from other scriptures that Israel will be victorious. For example, in Zechariah 12:6 we are told that in the end times Israel will be like "a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples..." Also, in Amos 9:15 we are told that once the Jews are re-established in their land, "they will not again be rooted out from their land."
Bill Salus believes this war will result in an overwhelming victory for Israel, resulting in great territorial expansion and enhanced national resources. It will also produce the security spoken of in Ezekiel 38.
2) The First War of Gog & Magog — Ezekiel 38 and 39
But the security provided by the Psalm 83 war will not last long. The Arab nations will turn to their natural ally, Russia, and cry out for help.
And the Russians will be very happy to respond, for they have always dreamed of taking the oil fields of the Middle East. They will, therefore, launch an invasion for the stated purpose of helping the Muslims destroy Israel, but their unstated agenda will be to use the Arab invitation as an excuse to expand their sovereignty over all the Middle East. This ulterior motive is described in Ezekiel 38:12 where it says the Russians will come "to capture spoil and to seize plunder."
The invading armies will be supernaturally destroyed by God "on the mountains of Israel" (Ezekiel 39:4). The Lord will accomplish this destruction through earthquakes, pestilence, hail storms, fire, brimstone, and battlefield confusion (Ezekiel 38:19- 22). Even the Jewish people will recognize that the victory belongs to the Lord, and many will open their hearts to the Lord (Ezekiel 38:23). In fact, this event could mark the occasion when the 144,000 Jews of Revelation 7:1-8 accept Yeshua as their Messiah and are sealed by the Lord for special service throughout the seven year period of the Tribulation.
The greatest mystery concerning this war is its timing. Most have placed it at the beginning of the Tribulation. Others delay its start to the middle of the Tribulation. Increasingly in recent years, the tendency has been to place it before the beginning of the Tribulation.
The best discussion of timing that has yet been written can be found in Ron Rhodes' book, Northern Storm Rising. He concludes that it is most likely to occur 3 1/2 years prior to the Tribulation. One of his most important reasons for this conclusion is that Ezekiel 39:9 says the Jews will spend seven years burning the weapons captured in the war, and the book of Revelation says they will be run out of the land in the middle of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:13-17). Since the middle of the Tribulation will occur 3 1/2 years into that seven year period, that means the only way the Jews could spend seven years burning the weapons is for the war to start at least 3 1/2 years before the Tribulation begins. (Note: The "burning of weapons" could refer to captured nuclear fuel.)
Does this mean the wars of Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 and 39 must occur before the Rapture? Not at all. The Rapture could occur anytime before, during, or after these wars. Keep in mind that the Rapture is not what marks the beginning of the Tribulation. The Tribulation will begin when the Antichrist signs a security treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27). There could be a period of several years between the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation.
3) The Conventional War of the Tribulation — Revelation 6
The book of Revelation states that a major world war will break out soon after the Tribulation begins. This war is described in Revelation 6.
Although the Antichrist will rise to world power in Europe through cunning, deception, and intrigue (Daniel 8:23), he will have to resort to military power to conquer the world. Asia, Africa, and South America have spent too long casting off the shackles of European colonialism for them to suddenly surrender their sovereignty peacefully to a new European dictator — regardless of how brilliant and charismatic he may be.
We are told in Revelation 13:7 that the Antichrist will ultimately achieve "authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation." This authority will be achieved through war. Revelation 6 records the outbreak of this world war. It results in the death of one-fourth of humanity, or 1.5 billion in today's terms (Revelation 6:8).
The War of Psalm 83 results in the destruction of the inner ring of Muslim states around Israel. The War of Ezekiel 38 and 39 produces the defeat of the immediate outer ring of Muslim states.
But the vast majority of all Muslims live outside the Middle East, the largest Muslim nations being Indonesia (201 million), India (144 million), Pakistan (140 million), and Bangladesh (115 million). These nations are the ones who are most likely to produce the strongest resistance to a Western, non-Muslim dictator, and they will be destroyed either in this war or the one that follows it.
In other words, I believe God is going to use the Antichrist as His hammer of wrath to destroy Islam.
But many other nations in the world will also have to be subdued, and that leads us to the next war of the end times.
4) The Nuclear War of the Tribulation — Revelation 8 & 9
At some point, the book of Revelation indicates that the conventional war will morph into a nuclear holocaust, resulting in the deaths of another one-third of Mankind, or another 1.5 billion people (Revelation 9:15). This means that in the first two wars of the Tribulation, more than one half of humanity will die.
A hint that the conventional war will become a nuclear one is found in Revelation 8:7 where it states that the escalation of the war will result in one-third of the earth being burned up. Another hint is found in Revelation 16:2 — 11 where we are told that "loathsome and malignant" sores will afflict people at the end of the Tribulation, something that would be a natural consequence of radiation from the use of nuclear weapons.
It could very well be that this nuclear holocaust could be what Jesus had in mind when He stated that in the end times men will faint from fear over the expectation of the things coming upon the world, "for the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Luke 21:26).
This war is portrayed in the book of Revelation in chapters 8 — 9 as a series of "Trumpet Judgments."
5) The War in the Heavens — Revelation 12
The next end time war is totally different in nature from all the rest. It is a supernatural one that will occur in the heavens in the middle of the Tribulation. It is most likely prompted by an attempt of Satan to once again take the throne of God.
Satan and his angels are opposed in this war by Michael and his angels. Michael is an archangel who is pictured in the Hebrew Scriptures as the commander-in-chief of the armies of God (Daniel 10:13, 21 and 12:1). Michael and his angels prevail in this war, and Satan is cast down to earth. His access to God's throne is cut off (Revelation 12:9-10).
When this happens, Satan realizes that his time is short because he knows Bible prophecy (Revelation 12:12). In his rage, Satan decides to destroy the Jewish people, and this decision leads to the next war.
6) The War Against the Jews and the Saints — Revelation 12
Satan hates the Jews with a passion for several reasons:
1. They are the Chosen People of God.
2. God used them to provide the Scriptures to the world.
3. It was through them that the Messiah came.
4. God has promised that He will bring a great remnant of them to faith in His Son at the end of the Tribulation.
There is going to be another holocaust during the latter half of the Tribulation. When Satan is cast down to earth, he will possess the Antichrist (Revelation 13:2) and inspire him to annihilate all the Jews. This is the reason that Jesus referred to the last half of the Tribulation as "the great tribulation" (Matthew 24:21) — not because this half will be worse than the first half, but because the wrath of Satan will be focused on the Jews.
Some of the Jews of Israel will flee to a place in the "wilderness" where they will be supernaturally protected by God (Revelation 12:13-14). Many believe this hiding place will be the ancient city of Petra, located inside a box canyon in modern Jordan. There is good reason for this assumption because Daniel 11:41 says the Antichrist will be prevented from conquering Jordan when it is part of an end time rebellion.
But Zechariah 13:8 indicates that two-thirds of the Jewish people will be killed by the Antichrist during this time, and Revelation 12:17 says the Antichrist will also war against the "offspring" of Israel — namely, those "who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus." I believe this is a reference to all those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior during the Tribulation, both Jews and Gentiles.
It is no wonder that Revelation 7:9-14 pictures a great multitude of martyrs in Heaven, so great that it cannot be counted. They are identified as "the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).
So the Antichrist will be very successful in his war against the Jews and the Saints, but he will fail in his ultimate goal of annihilating all the Jews. For we are told repeatedly throughout the Scriptures that a great remnant of the Jews will live to the end of the Tribulation at which time they will receive Yeshua as their Messiah. (See: Isaiah 10:20-23; Zechariah 12:10; Romans 9:27-28; and Romans 11:25-26.)
7) The Middle East Campaign of the Antichrist — Daniel 11
Daniel 11:40-45 describes a military campaign of the Antichrist in the Middle East that occurs at the end of the Tribulation.
These verses and related verses in Revelation could very well indicate that when the Antichrist becomes insanely obsessed with destroying the Jews and the Saints, the nations of the world will see an opportunity to rebel against him. The nations in the Middle East will be led by the "king of the North" (most likely Syria) and the "king of the South" (Egypt). The Antichrist responds by invading "the Beautiful Land" and subduing all the area except Jordan.
But just as he seems to be completely victorious, he hears "rumors from the East and from the North" that deeply disturb him. He retreats with his armies to the area "between the seas" where "he will come to his end." The geographical description here of a location between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee corresponds to the Valley of Armageddon.
I believe the rumors that frighten him are, in part, the news that "the kings from the East" (Revelation 16:12) who are bringing huge armies from Asia have arrived at the Euphrates River and are ready to cross into Israel to challenge him. The rumors from the North could relate to a reconstituted rebellious army from Russia.
8) The Battle of Armageddon — Joel 3, Zechariah 14, and Revelation 19
It appears that just as the armies from the East and the North start arriving in the Valley of Armageddon to challenge the Antichrist, the Lord breaks from the heavens, returns to the Mount of Olives, speaks a supernatural word, and all the armies are instantly destroyed.
In other words, there really is no such thing as the "Battle of Armageddon." The armies are assembled to do battle, but the Lord annihilates all of them in a microsecond "with the breath of His mouth" (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Joel 3:16 says the Lord will "roar from Zion" and "utter His voice from Jerusalem." Isaiah 10:16 says the result will be "a wasting disease." Zechariah 14:12 says it will be a plague that will cause the flesh of the soldiers "to rot while they stand on their feet." Their eyes will rot in their sockets and their tongues will rot in their mouths. It will be like the explosion of a neutron bomb.
9) The Second Battle of Gog & Magog — Revelation 20
Mercifully and joyfully, the "battle" of Armageddon will be followed by one thousand years of peace as the reign of Jesus from Jerusalem results in the world being filled with righteousness and justice (Isaiah 11:4-5,9). Swords will be beat into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, and "nation will not lift up sword against nation..." (Isaiah 2:4). All the money that is spent today on armaments will be spent on agricultural implements. The world will be flooded with agricultural abundance (Amos 9:13). There will be no homeless or hungry people. Every man will have his own vineyard and orchard (Micah 4:4).
Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:1-3). Sin and crime will be greatly reduced. But there will be seething rebellion in the hearts of many, if not most, that are born during that time.
This is hard for most people to understand. Why would there be resentment in the hearts of people in the midst of such a perfect reign of Jesus?
The initial population of the Millennium will be all those, both Jew and Gentile, who live to the end of the Tribulation and who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. All others will be consigned to death when the Lord returns. So, the Millennium will begin with only believers. But they will begin to propagate, and since death will be curtailed and life spans will be greatly extended (Isaiah 65:20), the population of the world will grow exponentially.
Those born during this time will still have the old sin nature. They will desire all the things of the flesh — booze, drugs, gambling, and promiscuous sex. But they will see that any violation of the Law of God results in swift and certain justice. Immediate arrest will be followed by an immediate trial and an immediate judgment. There will be no appeal, for all judges will be Saints in glorified bodies who will make perfect decisions. So, the average person in the flesh will say, "I love you Jesus!" but he or she will do so with clinched teeth.
The Bible states repeatedly that Jesus will rule with "a rod of iron" (Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 2:26-27). And despite the fact that His reign will produce righteousness, fairness, and perfect justice (Isaiah 11:4-5), most of those living in the flesh will deeply resent the fact that they cannot freely pursue their worldly lusts.
It is no wonder that when Satan is released at the end of the Lord's millennial reign (Revelation 20:7), the majority of those in the flesh will unite in one last rebellion against God that is pictured in Revelation 20:7-9. Led once again by Gog & Magog, this war is often confused with the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39. But the two are very different. The Ezekiel war pictures Russia coming against the nation of Israel with certain specified allies. In Revelation 20 Russia is portrayed as leading all the nations of the world against Jesus Christ.
History is going to end as it began. It started out with two people living in a perfect society, but deciding to rebel against their Creator. It ends with all of humanity living in a perfect society, and the majority making the same decision to rebel against God.
One of the many purposes of the Millennium is for God to prove that Mankind's inherent sin defect can be remedied only by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The religion of Satan has always been Humanism — the belief in Man. This philosophy teaches that Man is inherently good and is capable of perfection through education and social justice. Humanists therefore believe that if society can be perfected by supplying each person with a guaranteed job and income, Mankind will be transformed.
But the Bible teaches that Mankind is fatally flawed with a sin nature that makes people naturally evil (Jeremiah 17:9). And the Bible teaches that the only solution to the problem is the transformation of the Holy Spirit that begins when a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.
God will prove this beyond doubt when He puts all of Mankind into a perfect society for one thousand years and Mankind responds in rebellion.
The Abolition of War
The Second War of Gog & Magog will be the final war of history. Following it, God will take the Redeemed off the earth and place them in the New Jerusalem He is now preparing. He will then consume the earth with fire to burn away the pollution of Satan's last revolt. Out of that fiery inferno will come new heavens and a new earth — this earth redeemed and perfected (2 Peter 3:10-13). He will then lower the Redeemed down to this earth inside the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-7), and He will come to earth to live in their presence eternally (Revelation 22:1-4).
Eternal peace is coming. War is going to be gone forever. This hope of Mankind will not be achieved by diplomats. It will be a gift of God through Jesus Christ who died to redeem Mankind and all the Cosmos.
I believe this is quite possible, however not for the reasons typically stated. I see a few flaws in the argument around Psalm 83 and the basis for it's descriptive war preceding Ezekiel's prophecy.
The mistake I see, is the attempt to fit current events into prophecy, rather than to understand the prophetic scenarios given biblically and simply watch to see if/when they transpire. In this case, there seems to be an (unnecessary) need to show that Ezekiel's predictions from chapter 38-39 are NOT imminent. For some reason, I keep reading that in order for Psalm 83 to be imminent, then Ezekiel 38-39 isn't imminent. This is an unnecessary (and to me inaccurate) view for the following reasons:
- Ezekiel 38 stated that Israel will be living "securely" and with "unwalled villages". Arguments being made that Ezekiel 38-39 is not imminent, include the idea that currently, Israel is NOT "living securely" nor "unwalled" therefore Ezekiel 38-39 is NOT imminent. (Again, keep in mind, this premise isn't even needed to make the case for Psalm 83 as preceding Ezekiel 38-39).
I disagree with this premise. First of all, Ezekiel 38:11 states that Gog will invade Israel when it is a land of "unwalled VILLAGES" - or current day cities. The argument being made is this: Israel currently has a single, 400 mile wall that runs north and south in order to aid in the fight against the "homicide bombings" that had been occuring. The problem is, this wall doesn't represent a single "walled village" or city as the scriptures demand. In fact, there are no "walled" cities anywhere in Israel (excluding the old city of Jerusalem, which is now only a historical artifact, with no defense purposes). In fact, the thought occured to me, if you were to show Ezekiel modern day Israel, his first question would probably be "where are the walls?" Back in Ezekiel's day, all of the cities were surrounded by walls, for defense purposes. Today, not a single Israeli city is surrounded by walls. So to me, this (unnecessary) premise is clearly incorrect.
Additionally, folks will argue that Israel is NOT living "securely" now, thus, Ezekiel 38-39 is not imminent. I beg to differ with this premise as well. Israel now has the strongest military in the region, by far. Not even close. Israel's technology, their aerial dominance and their nuclear capability gives Israel security like they have never had throughout the history of the Bible. Folks will reference the various homicide bombings and the missiles that come in from Gaza, to prove otherwise - however, overall, the citizens of Israel now live very "securely" - backed by the dominant Israel IDF- as contrasted with past eras in Israeli history. So I disagree with this premise as well.
To be fair, I have heard arguments that "Gog-MaGog" can only occur after the anti-christ implements his peace plan in the Middle-East and grants temporary peace and "security" in the region as described in 1 Thessalonians 5. I can see this point - its a good one thats hard to argue against.
The main point: I believe both Ezekiel 38-39 AND the war described in Psalm 83 are BOTH imminent. There seems to be a need by folks to diminish the imminence of Ezekiel 38-39 in order to prove that Psalm 83 is close. I don't understand this approach. These two events are not mutually exclusive - in fact, I believe that they are closely related. As mentioned many times before, I believe that once that powder keg is ignited, then all subsequent events will occur immediately; thus, if Psalm 83 serves as the "trigger", then we'll see subsequent prophetic events, including the complete destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17) and the invasion of "Gog-MaGog" occuring in rapid sequence.
This all leads to the main point of this post. Below is a very well-done article by David Reagan, who outlines a potential prophetic sequence of wars in the Middle-East. I happen to agree that his view is quite possible, just not necessarily for the specific reasons stated (those that involve Ezekiel 38-39 not being imminent). But it doesn't matter. They can both be imminent (as I believe they are), and still fit into this sequence. Here it is full link here: [[ Note: I suggest going to the link, if you are interested, as its MUCH easier to read, and it contains some interesting pictures...The link did not transfer well to this blog and is difficult to read, but I included it anyway]]
The Wars of the End Times
How many and when will they happen?
by Dr. David R. Reagan
Every time a war breaks out in the Middle East, I receive a flurry of phone calls and email messages asking if it could be the War of Armageddon. This question is prompted by the fact that most people are familiar with only one end time war — the one that has been popularized in movies and novels as the "Battle of Armageddon."
The concept comes from the book of Revelation where it says that armies will gather in the end times at a place "which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon" (Revelation 16:16). This term literally means the Mount of Megiddo and refers to the ancient fortress of Megiddo that controlled the Valley of Jezreel. In English the word was transliterated as Armageddon, and the term came to be applied to the Valley of Jezreel which lies in front of Har-Magedon, running diagonally across Israel from Haifa to the Jordan River.
Most people are surprised to discover that there is no reference in the book of Revelation, or any other place in the Bible to the "Valley of Armageddon," nor is there any reference to the "Battle of Armageddon" — but more about that later. People are even more surprised to learn that Bible prophecy reveals nine wars in the end times and that Armageddon relates to only one of these.
The Next Prophetic War
Most prophetic scholars have long believed that the next great end time war will be the War of Gog & Magog that is described in Ezekiel 38 and 39. This, for example is the stated position of Joel Rosenberg in his popular book, Epicenter. This war will start when Russia invades Israel with certain specified allies, all of whom are Muslim nations today.
But I seriously doubt that the conflict described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 will be the next war of end time Bible prophecy. There are two reasons why I feel this way.
First, there is a condition for the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 that has not been met. Three times in Ezekiel 38 — in verses 8, 11, and 14 — it states that the war described in that chapter will not occur until the people of Israel are living "securely" in "unwalled villages."
Israel is not living in security today. It is bombarded daily by missiles from Gaza, and it is constantly under the threat of missile attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon. There is also the ever present threat of terrorist attacks, a threat that has forced Israel to construct a 400 mile long wall down the center of the country. In short, it is laughable today to even think of the Jewish people of Israel as living "securely" in "unwalled villages."
The second reason I doubt that the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 will be the next end time war of Bible prophecy is because the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38:5-6 as the allies of Russia do not include a single Arab state with a border adjacent to Israel. The nations identified are Persia (Iran), Cush (most likely modern day Sudan), Put (Libya and possibly Algeria and Tunisia), and two regions that lie within modern day Turkey (Gomer and Bethtogarmah). There is no mention of the nations that share a common border with Israel — namely, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Gaza.
Why are the nations located next to Israel not mentioned as allies of Russia? I believe the best explanation of this mystery is the one supplied by Bill Salus in his book, Isralestine. He proposes that the next end time prophetic war will be the one described in Psalm 83, a war between Israel and its neighbors. He believes this war will produce the conditions that are necessary for the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39, and I agree with that conclusion.
With that point clarified, let's now take an overview of the end time prophetic wars in their likely chronological sequence.
1) The War of Extermination — Psalm 83
The psalm states that the immediate neighbors of Israel will launch a war for the purpose of "wiping out Israel as a nation" (verse 4). The nations described as being a part of this nefarious effort are those with a common border with Israel today (verses 6-8). The rest of the psalm is a prayer for the victory of Israel (verses 9-18).
The outcome of the war is not stated, but we know from other scriptures that Israel will be victorious. For example, in Zechariah 12:6 we are told that in the end times Israel will be like "a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples..." Also, in Amos 9:15 we are told that once the Jews are re-established in their land, "they will not again be rooted out from their land."
Bill Salus believes this war will result in an overwhelming victory for Israel, resulting in great territorial expansion and enhanced national resources. It will also produce the security spoken of in Ezekiel 38.
2) The First War of Gog & Magog — Ezekiel 38 and 39
But the security provided by the Psalm 83 war will not last long. The Arab nations will turn to their natural ally, Russia, and cry out for help.
And the Russians will be very happy to respond, for they have always dreamed of taking the oil fields of the Middle East. They will, therefore, launch an invasion for the stated purpose of helping the Muslims destroy Israel, but their unstated agenda will be to use the Arab invitation as an excuse to expand their sovereignty over all the Middle East. This ulterior motive is described in Ezekiel 38:12 where it says the Russians will come "to capture spoil and to seize plunder."
The invading armies will be supernaturally destroyed by God "on the mountains of Israel" (Ezekiel 39:4). The Lord will accomplish this destruction through earthquakes, pestilence, hail storms, fire, brimstone, and battlefield confusion (Ezekiel 38:19- 22). Even the Jewish people will recognize that the victory belongs to the Lord, and many will open their hearts to the Lord (Ezekiel 38:23). In fact, this event could mark the occasion when the 144,000 Jews of Revelation 7:1-8 accept Yeshua as their Messiah and are sealed by the Lord for special service throughout the seven year period of the Tribulation.
The greatest mystery concerning this war is its timing. Most have placed it at the beginning of the Tribulation. Others delay its start to the middle of the Tribulation. Increasingly in recent years, the tendency has been to place it before the beginning of the Tribulation.
The best discussion of timing that has yet been written can be found in Ron Rhodes' book, Northern Storm Rising. He concludes that it is most likely to occur 3 1/2 years prior to the Tribulation. One of his most important reasons for this conclusion is that Ezekiel 39:9 says the Jews will spend seven years burning the weapons captured in the war, and the book of Revelation says they will be run out of the land in the middle of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:13-17). Since the middle of the Tribulation will occur 3 1/2 years into that seven year period, that means the only way the Jews could spend seven years burning the weapons is for the war to start at least 3 1/2 years before the Tribulation begins. (Note: The "burning of weapons" could refer to captured nuclear fuel.)
Does this mean the wars of Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 and 39 must occur before the Rapture? Not at all. The Rapture could occur anytime before, during, or after these wars. Keep in mind that the Rapture is not what marks the beginning of the Tribulation. The Tribulation will begin when the Antichrist signs a security treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27). There could be a period of several years between the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation.
3) The Conventional War of the Tribulation — Revelation 6
The book of Revelation states that a major world war will break out soon after the Tribulation begins. This war is described in Revelation 6.
Although the Antichrist will rise to world power in Europe through cunning, deception, and intrigue (Daniel 8:23), he will have to resort to military power to conquer the world. Asia, Africa, and South America have spent too long casting off the shackles of European colonialism for them to suddenly surrender their sovereignty peacefully to a new European dictator — regardless of how brilliant and charismatic he may be.
We are told in Revelation 13:7 that the Antichrist will ultimately achieve "authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation." This authority will be achieved through war. Revelation 6 records the outbreak of this world war. It results in the death of one-fourth of humanity, or 1.5 billion in today's terms (Revelation 6:8).
The War of Psalm 83 results in the destruction of the inner ring of Muslim states around Israel. The War of Ezekiel 38 and 39 produces the defeat of the immediate outer ring of Muslim states.
But the vast majority of all Muslims live outside the Middle East, the largest Muslim nations being Indonesia (201 million), India (144 million), Pakistan (140 million), and Bangladesh (115 million). These nations are the ones who are most likely to produce the strongest resistance to a Western, non-Muslim dictator, and they will be destroyed either in this war or the one that follows it.
In other words, I believe God is going to use the Antichrist as His hammer of wrath to destroy Islam.
But many other nations in the world will also have to be subdued, and that leads us to the next war of the end times.
4) The Nuclear War of the Tribulation — Revelation 8 & 9
At some point, the book of Revelation indicates that the conventional war will morph into a nuclear holocaust, resulting in the deaths of another one-third of Mankind, or another 1.5 billion people (Revelation 9:15). This means that in the first two wars of the Tribulation, more than one half of humanity will die.
A hint that the conventional war will become a nuclear one is found in Revelation 8:7 where it states that the escalation of the war will result in one-third of the earth being burned up. Another hint is found in Revelation 16:2 — 11 where we are told that "loathsome and malignant" sores will afflict people at the end of the Tribulation, something that would be a natural consequence of radiation from the use of nuclear weapons.
It could very well be that this nuclear holocaust could be what Jesus had in mind when He stated that in the end times men will faint from fear over the expectation of the things coming upon the world, "for the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Luke 21:26).
This war is portrayed in the book of Revelation in chapters 8 — 9 as a series of "Trumpet Judgments."
5) The War in the Heavens — Revelation 12
The next end time war is totally different in nature from all the rest. It is a supernatural one that will occur in the heavens in the middle of the Tribulation. It is most likely prompted by an attempt of Satan to once again take the throne of God.
Satan and his angels are opposed in this war by Michael and his angels. Michael is an archangel who is pictured in the Hebrew Scriptures as the commander-in-chief of the armies of God (Daniel 10:13, 21 and 12:1). Michael and his angels prevail in this war, and Satan is cast down to earth. His access to God's throne is cut off (Revelation 12:9-10).
When this happens, Satan realizes that his time is short because he knows Bible prophecy (Revelation 12:12). In his rage, Satan decides to destroy the Jewish people, and this decision leads to the next war.
6) The War Against the Jews and the Saints — Revelation 12
Satan hates the Jews with a passion for several reasons:
1. They are the Chosen People of God.
2. God used them to provide the Scriptures to the world.
3. It was through them that the Messiah came.
4. God has promised that He will bring a great remnant of them to faith in His Son at the end of the Tribulation.
There is going to be another holocaust during the latter half of the Tribulation. When Satan is cast down to earth, he will possess the Antichrist (Revelation 13:2) and inspire him to annihilate all the Jews. This is the reason that Jesus referred to the last half of the Tribulation as "the great tribulation" (Matthew 24:21) — not because this half will be worse than the first half, but because the wrath of Satan will be focused on the Jews.
Some of the Jews of Israel will flee to a place in the "wilderness" where they will be supernaturally protected by God (Revelation 12:13-14). Many believe this hiding place will be the ancient city of Petra, located inside a box canyon in modern Jordan. There is good reason for this assumption because Daniel 11:41 says the Antichrist will be prevented from conquering Jordan when it is part of an end time rebellion.
But Zechariah 13:8 indicates that two-thirds of the Jewish people will be killed by the Antichrist during this time, and Revelation 12:17 says the Antichrist will also war against the "offspring" of Israel — namely, those "who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus." I believe this is a reference to all those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior during the Tribulation, both Jews and Gentiles.
It is no wonder that Revelation 7:9-14 pictures a great multitude of martyrs in Heaven, so great that it cannot be counted. They are identified as "the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).
So the Antichrist will be very successful in his war against the Jews and the Saints, but he will fail in his ultimate goal of annihilating all the Jews. For we are told repeatedly throughout the Scriptures that a great remnant of the Jews will live to the end of the Tribulation at which time they will receive Yeshua as their Messiah. (See: Isaiah 10:20-23; Zechariah 12:10; Romans 9:27-28; and Romans 11:25-26.)
7) The Middle East Campaign of the Antichrist — Daniel 11
Daniel 11:40-45 describes a military campaign of the Antichrist in the Middle East that occurs at the end of the Tribulation.
These verses and related verses in Revelation could very well indicate that when the Antichrist becomes insanely obsessed with destroying the Jews and the Saints, the nations of the world will see an opportunity to rebel against him. The nations in the Middle East will be led by the "king of the North" (most likely Syria) and the "king of the South" (Egypt). The Antichrist responds by invading "the Beautiful Land" and subduing all the area except Jordan.
But just as he seems to be completely victorious, he hears "rumors from the East and from the North" that deeply disturb him. He retreats with his armies to the area "between the seas" where "he will come to his end." The geographical description here of a location between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee corresponds to the Valley of Armageddon.
I believe the rumors that frighten him are, in part, the news that "the kings from the East" (Revelation 16:12) who are bringing huge armies from Asia have arrived at the Euphrates River and are ready to cross into Israel to challenge him. The rumors from the North could relate to a reconstituted rebellious army from Russia.
8) The Battle of Armageddon — Joel 3, Zechariah 14, and Revelation 19
It appears that just as the armies from the East and the North start arriving in the Valley of Armageddon to challenge the Antichrist, the Lord breaks from the heavens, returns to the Mount of Olives, speaks a supernatural word, and all the armies are instantly destroyed.
In other words, there really is no such thing as the "Battle of Armageddon." The armies are assembled to do battle, but the Lord annihilates all of them in a microsecond "with the breath of His mouth" (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
Joel 3:16 says the Lord will "roar from Zion" and "utter His voice from Jerusalem." Isaiah 10:16 says the result will be "a wasting disease." Zechariah 14:12 says it will be a plague that will cause the flesh of the soldiers "to rot while they stand on their feet." Their eyes will rot in their sockets and their tongues will rot in their mouths. It will be like the explosion of a neutron bomb.
9) The Second Battle of Gog & Magog — Revelation 20
Mercifully and joyfully, the "battle" of Armageddon will be followed by one thousand years of peace as the reign of Jesus from Jerusalem results in the world being filled with righteousness and justice (Isaiah 11:4-5,9). Swords will be beat into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, and "nation will not lift up sword against nation..." (Isaiah 2:4). All the money that is spent today on armaments will be spent on agricultural implements. The world will be flooded with agricultural abundance (Amos 9:13). There will be no homeless or hungry people. Every man will have his own vineyard and orchard (Micah 4:4).
Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:1-3). Sin and crime will be greatly reduced. But there will be seething rebellion in the hearts of many, if not most, that are born during that time.
This is hard for most people to understand. Why would there be resentment in the hearts of people in the midst of such a perfect reign of Jesus?
The initial population of the Millennium will be all those, both Jew and Gentile, who live to the end of the Tribulation and who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. All others will be consigned to death when the Lord returns. So, the Millennium will begin with only believers. But they will begin to propagate, and since death will be curtailed and life spans will be greatly extended (Isaiah 65:20), the population of the world will grow exponentially.
Those born during this time will still have the old sin nature. They will desire all the things of the flesh — booze, drugs, gambling, and promiscuous sex. But they will see that any violation of the Law of God results in swift and certain justice. Immediate arrest will be followed by an immediate trial and an immediate judgment. There will be no appeal, for all judges will be Saints in glorified bodies who will make perfect decisions. So, the average person in the flesh will say, "I love you Jesus!" but he or she will do so with clinched teeth.
The Bible states repeatedly that Jesus will rule with "a rod of iron" (Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 2:26-27). And despite the fact that His reign will produce righteousness, fairness, and perfect justice (Isaiah 11:4-5), most of those living in the flesh will deeply resent the fact that they cannot freely pursue their worldly lusts.
It is no wonder that when Satan is released at the end of the Lord's millennial reign (Revelation 20:7), the majority of those in the flesh will unite in one last rebellion against God that is pictured in Revelation 20:7-9. Led once again by Gog & Magog, this war is often confused with the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39. But the two are very different. The Ezekiel war pictures Russia coming against the nation of Israel with certain specified allies. In Revelation 20 Russia is portrayed as leading all the nations of the world against Jesus Christ.
History is going to end as it began. It started out with two people living in a perfect society, but deciding to rebel against their Creator. It ends with all of humanity living in a perfect society, and the majority making the same decision to rebel against God.
One of the many purposes of the Millennium is for God to prove that Mankind's inherent sin defect can be remedied only by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The religion of Satan has always been Humanism — the belief in Man. This philosophy teaches that Man is inherently good and is capable of perfection through education and social justice. Humanists therefore believe that if society can be perfected by supplying each person with a guaranteed job and income, Mankind will be transformed.
But the Bible teaches that Mankind is fatally flawed with a sin nature that makes people naturally evil (Jeremiah 17:9). And the Bible teaches that the only solution to the problem is the transformation of the Holy Spirit that begins when a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.
God will prove this beyond doubt when He puts all of Mankind into a perfect society for one thousand years and Mankind responds in rebellion.
The Abolition of War
The Second War of Gog & Magog will be the final war of history. Following it, God will take the Redeemed off the earth and place them in the New Jerusalem He is now preparing. He will then consume the earth with fire to burn away the pollution of Satan's last revolt. Out of that fiery inferno will come new heavens and a new earth — this earth redeemed and perfected (2 Peter 3:10-13). He will then lower the Redeemed down to this earth inside the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-7), and He will come to earth to live in their presence eternally (Revelation 22:1-4).
Eternal peace is coming. War is going to be gone forever. This hope of Mankind will not be achieved by diplomats. It will be a gift of God through Jesus Christ who died to redeem Mankind and all the Cosmos.
Kamis, 27 Agustus 2009
Kolom Opini: "Konstitusi dan Aktivisme Yudisial"
KONSTITUSI DAN AKTIVISME YUDISIAL
Oleh: Pan Mohamad Faiz*
Oleh: Pan Mohamad Faiz*
Sumber: Kolom Opini Jurnal Nasional - Selasa, 25 Agustus 2009
Belum lama ini, tepatnya pada tanggal 18 Agustus, masyarakat Indonesia baru saja memperingati “Hari Konsitusi” untuk kali pertamanya. Peringatan Hari Konstitusi tersebut setidaknya memberikan gambaran bahwa UUD 1945 dan cita konstitusionalisme semakin diteguhkan sebagai sumber hukum tertinggi dan pedoman dasar dalam kehidupan bernegara.Walaupun UUD 1945 telah dibentuk 64 tahun yang lalu, namun fase kehidupan dan kesadaran berkonstitusi warga negara terbentuk begitu pesat baru dalam kurun waktu sepuluh tahun terakhir ini. Setidaknya ada tiga faktor yang menyebabkan konstitusionalisme tersebut tumbuh subur di tengah-tengah masyarakat. Pertama, wujud pelaksanaan hasil amandemen UUD 1945 yang diubah pada 1999-2002; Kedua, munculnya puluhan lembaga kajian konstitusi; dan Ketiga, adanya sentuhan yudisial dari pengadilan konstitusi (baca: Mahkamah Konstitusi).
Dalam konteks terakhir, Upendra Baxi menyatakan bahwa pada negara-negara pasca-sosialis atau transisi, seperti misalnya Rusia, Polandia, dan Hungaria, mereka telah berhasil membumikan ruh konstitusinya melalui aktivisme yudisial (judicial activism). Aktivisme demikian terinspirasi dari makna filosofis penafsiran konstitusi yang memandang konstitusi bukan sekedar katalog peraturan hukum, namun lebih sebagai pernyataan prinsip-prinsip pemerintahan konstitusional yang wajib dijalankan.
Aktivisme yudisial sendiri merupakan proses pengambilan putusan pengadilan melalui pendekatan berbeda. Pendekatan ini menurut Satyabrata melebihi filsafat hukum lama, karena dianggap lebih modern dan dekat dengan kehidupan riil masyarakat. Aktivisme yudisial juga dipahami sebagai dinamisme para hakim yang memegang kekuasaan kehakiman ketika membuat putusan tanpa melampaui batas-batas konstitusi (S.P. Sathe, 2002).
Dalam pada itu, signifikasi dan peran hakim dalam menata kehidupan masyarakat sudah sejak lama didengungkan oleh Oliver Holmes dan Roscoe Pound. Sejalan dengan hal tersebut, Benjamin Cordozo dalam bukunya “The Nature of Judicial Process” berpendapat bahwa ketika hukum kehilangan pegangannya, maka para hakim dapat menciptakan hukum sebagai pilihan kreatif melalui empat metode pendekatan, yaitu filosofis, historis, kebiasaan, dan sosiologi. Pandangan demikian oleh para begawan hukum di Indonesia dikenal sebagai aliran hukum progresif (Satjipto Rahardjo, 2006).
Gelombang Pro-Kontra
Dewasa ini, aktivisme yudisial berkembang cepat hampir di seluruh negara dunia, tidak terkecuali pada negara-negara yang menganut sistem civil law. Namun demikian, diskursus mengenai aktivisme tersebut turut pula melahirkan pro-kontra di kalangan para elit, akademisi, praktisi, hingga hakim sekalipun. Akibatnya, hingga akhir 1990-an telah terfragmentasi tiga arus kelompok utama, yaitu: Pertama, kelompok yang berusaha membatasi ruang gerak yudisial (judicial restraint); Kedua, kelompok yang memandang aktivisme yudisial sebagai sine qou non dari pengadilan yang merdeka dan independen; dan Ketiga, kelompok moderat yang berkehendak agar aktivisme yudisial hanya terbatas untuk kasus-kasus selektif dan ekslusif, khususnya yang menyangkut perlindungan terhadap kaum lemah atau minoritas.
Bagaikan injeksi obat dengan dosis yang tepat, aktivisme yudisial dapat menjadi langkah yang tepat dalam mempertahankan sistem demokrasi konstitusional. Akan tetapi sebaliknya, jika terlalu berlebihan justru berpotensi mengakibatkan kontra-produktif. Di sinilah letak kekhawatiran sebagian kalangan yang melihat aktivisme yudisial dapat bermetamorfosa sewaktu-sewaktu menjadi sekedar petualangan yudisial (judicial adventurism) ataupun ekspansi yudisial (judicial expansionism).
Namun pada kenyataannya, tren terhadap aktivisme yudisial tetap menjadi corak esential dalam mengawasi dan menjalankan roda pemerintahan. Dengan demikian, judicial activism dan judicial self-restraint sebaiknya tidak perlu ditempatkan sebagai dogma yang saling bertentangan, sebab keduanya merupakan komponen yang krusial dalam fungsi kekuasaan kehakiman. Pun adanya perpaduan aliran pemikiran hukum yang beragam, seperti aliran positivis, traditional, ataupun progresif, patut dipertahankan karena memiliki nilai lebihnya masing-masing dalam nuansa “pertarungan” pertimbangan hukum pada saat merancang suatu putusan pengadilan.
Praktik Judicial Review
Dalam pemerintahan yang menjunjung tinggi prinsip demokrasi dan nomokrasi di bawah payung konstitusi, pengadilan adalah pengawal sekaligus pelindung hak-hak dasar warga negara. Berkaitan dengan hal itu, rule of law dan judicial review menjadi fitur dasar dari suatu konstitusi yang harus dilakoni. Adalah John Marshall yang pertama kali mempraktikkan aktivisme yudisial ketika memperkenalkan mekanisme judicial review pada tahun 1803 dalam kasus Marbury vs. Madison dengan mengatakan, “Our is a Government of laws and not of men”. Aktivisme ini kemudian terus bergulir setelah adanya pendapat Hamilton dan Jefferson dalam The Federalist (1837).
Hingga kini, praktik judicial review yang kerap mendapat sentuhan aktivisme yudisial marak terjadi di manca negara, seperti di Amerika, Jerman, Australia, India, Korea, dan Afrika Selatan. Sebagai contoh, dalam kasus Brown vs. Board of Education (1954), Mahkamah Agung Amerika telah mengubah total haluan dua putusannya yang terdahulu pada kasus Dred Scott (1857) dan Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) dengan menyatakan bahwa segregasi rasial dalam dunia pendidikan menjadi inkonstitusional. Dalam menjalankan fungsinya, Hakim tersebut menyesuaikan alam pemikirannya dengan terjadinya perubahan sosial kemasyarakatan yang terus berkembang, sehingga kadangkala diperlukan penyampingan formalisme hukum dan lebih mempertimbangkan “requirement of constitutionalism” (Banerjea, 2002).
Sementara itu, disadari atau tidak, Indonesia sendiri telah mempraktikkan aktivisme yudisial tatkala mempertahankan prinsip-prinsip dan hak dasar dalam konstitusi. Dalam lima tahun terakhir, beberapa di antara putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi setidaknya telah memperlihatkan kecenderungan tersebut, yakni pertama kali dimulai dengan adanya yurisprudensi konstitusional bersyarat (conditionally constitutional) dalam UU SDA (2005), lalu empat kali melakukan “tekanan konstitusional” (constitutional pressures) terhadap kewajiban pemenuhan 20% anggaran pendidikan (2005-2008), hingga mendeklarasikan perubahan paradigma dari keadilan prosedural menjadi keadilan substantif yang kemudian menjadi basis adanya perintah penghitungan dan pemungutan suara ulang Pemilu di Jawa Timur dan beberapa wilayah lainnya (2009).
Aktivisme yang tidak akan terlupakan adalah pemuatan ketentuan teknis dalam amar putusan sebagai prasyarat menjalankan suatu ketentuan undang-undang agar tidak bertentangan dengan konstitusi. Contoh ini dapat ditemukan pada putusan judicial review mengenai diperbolehkannya penggunaan KTP dan tata cara penghitungan kursi tahap kedua pada Pemilu 2009 yang lalu. Patut diakui bahwa putusan teknis demikian terkesan telah melampaui batas kewenangan yang dimiliki dalam konteks pemisahan kekuasaan. Akan tetapi, aktivisme yudisial tersebut nyatanya disambut dan diterima dengan baik tidak hanya oleh perorangan, akademisi, ataupun aktivis hukum, namun juga oleh Pemerintah, Parlemen, Partai Politik, KPU, Komnas HAM, dan lembaga-lembaga lainnya.
Dengan demikian, masyarakat Indonesia sejauh ini dapat dikatakan menerima kehadiran aktivisme yudisial sebagai alternatif solusi hukum ketika kondisi memang memperhadapkan antara perlindungan konstitusional vis-a-vis ketiadaan ataupun ketidakberdayaan peraturan hukum (constitutional lawlessness). Dalam sistem demokrasi konstitusional, judicial review dan judicial activism diyakini telah menjadi bagian yang tidak terpisahkan dalam bidang hukum ketatanegaraan. Akan tetapi, antusiasme yang berlebihan justru dapat menyebabkan iklim yang tidak sehat bagi pertumbuhan demokrasi itu sendiri. Untuk menjaganya, maka aktivisme yudisial perlu selalu dikawal dengan kritisasi akademik yang konstruktif, sehingga pengadilan tidak akan kehilangan legitimasinya.
*Penulis adalah Pengadministrasi Yustisial Hakim Konstitusi RI.
The Bride
One of the most beautiful descriptions of "The Church", or the body of believers during this Age of Grace, is that of a Bride to Christ. There is a vast array of scriptures which point to the Church as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32, Matthew 9:14-15, John 3:28-29, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7-9, etc.). Jack Kelly has written a nice review of the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony and how it is linked to the Rapture of the Church. If you read John 14:1-3, a distinct rapture description, is actually a summary of this wedding ceremony process as it links to the Rapture:
This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley
This is an update of an article originally published in March 2004. While it’s based on the Bible, it also includes Jewish wedding traditions from Biblical times. Some of these traditions go all the way back to Abraham’s time and are described in Genesis 24.
Birth of a Tradition
Abraham was getting old and Sarah had died, so he sent his chief servant to the land of his brother to get a wife for Isaac. The servant loaded up 10 camels with gifts and set off. After some time he arrived in the village of Abraham’s brother Nahor. Approaching a young woman near a well, he asked for a drink, in accordance with a plan he had devised with the Lord. When she offered to draw water for his camels as well, he recognized the confirming sign he had asked for and accompanied her to her home.
That evening he asked her family for permission to take the young woman, whose name was Rebekah, back home to be the bride of his master’s son Isaac. Using the gifts to reward her and compensate the family for the loss of their daughter, he said he wanted to leave immediately. When Rebekah’s father turned to her for final approval, she agreed and they set off the next morning. After several days travel during which the servant told her all about her betrothed, they arrived at Isaac’s home where she met him for the first time. That very evening Isaac and Rebekah were married.
That’s The Way It Goes
Members of royalty often followed a procedure very similar to this in obtaining brides for their sons, sometimes arranging them years in advance of the actual event. Common people also adopted this method, but of course with them the prospective groom acted on his own behalf rather than sending someone in his stead.
Even today in some Middle Eastern cultures arranged marriages are common, with the groom’s mother selecting a bride for her son. The logic here is that a young man’s mother knows her son and his temperament better than anyone and can most accurately predict what kind of woman would please him. On one of our trips to Israel and Jordan, our Jordanian guide told us that his marriage had been arranged in this way and he was very happy with his mother’s selection.
Back To Biblical Times
In those days when a man took a liking to a young woman, he approached her father to ask for her hand in marriage. Due to the prevailing economic conditions back then, it took a long time for a man to become financially stable enough to think about starting a family. When he did, he looked for a bride young enough to bear him many children. So while the man in these cases could be in his thirties, the potential bride would often still be a teenager and would need her father’s permission to marry.
Inviting the man into their home, the young woman’s parents sat down with him around a table while she brought wine and four cups. After she had poured each of them (but not herself) a cup of wine, she listened while this man, who she was meeting for the very first time, described his assets, skills and other qualities that made him a desirable mate. A brief negotiation followed where the price he would have to pay as compensation for the family’s loss of their daughter was determined. It was called the bride price.
If the two men reached an agreeable amount all eyes turned to the daughter who had been listening intently to the entire discussion. She now had to decide if she would take this man to be her husband. If she turned her empty cup upside down, the man went away never to return. But if she filled her cup and took a sip of the wine, she was agreeing to become his wife.
At that point they signed a betrothal agreement, wherein the man promised on oath to return for the young woman when all the wedding preparations were complete. Now they were officially engaged and the relationship could only be terminated by a divorce. He went away to build a home for them on family property next to his father’s house. This could take some time, and the couple rarely met again until the father of the groom pronounced the newly built home fit for habitation. Only then was the wedding date set, and the man given permission by his father to go collect his bride for the wedding.
During this time the young woman was to watch and wait at her parents’ home. She and her bridesmaids had to maintain a constant state of preparedness, since the wedding date would not be revealed to her until the bridegroom actually appeared at her door to take her to their new home.
Surprise, Surprise
For his part, the groom would try to show up unexpectedly to surprise her, carrying her off suddenly “like a thief in the night” when no one would see them. The only advance warning she would get was the sound of his voice shouting her name and the blast of a ram’s horn.
When the bridesmaids discovered that the bride had been “spirited away” they would organize a great torch-lit procession, going throughout the whole town announcing that the wedding banquet was soon to begin. The banquet typically capped off a seven-day celebration during which the bride and groom were hidden away in their private rooms while the whole town made merry. Then they reappeared at the banquet to receive the congratulations of their friends and family, and their married life officially began. The father of the groom picked up the tab for all the festivities.
Maybe you’re beginning to see the similarities. The Lord Jesus, being royalty, does not come directly seeking His bride. His Father sends an unnamed servant on His behalf, just like Abraham did. This servant of course is the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, Who beckons us. Interestingly, the name of Abraham’s servant was Eliezer, which translates “God is my Comforter.” And even more so, in Genesis 24 Eliezer’s name is never mentioned, as if he’s serving as a model of the Holy Spirit, Whose name is also withheld from us.
The role of the Holy Spirit is to extol the virtues of the Son of God, Who when told that the Bride price was nothing less than His own shed blood, agreed to die for us, and for the joy set before Him endured the cross. (Hebr. 12:2). His last word from the cross, recorded in John 19:30, was tetelesti, a Greek word that’s been translated “It is finished.” In the Lord’s time it was a legal term that literally meant, “Paid in full”, It was written across paid invoices and prison documents upon release of prisoners who had served their full terms, and had therefore paid their debt to society. With His death Jesus paid the price in full for His bride.
Who Loves You?
At the Last Supper Jesus had hoisted His cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor. 11:25). When we first “take the cup” we’re signifying that we’re officially betrothed, and we’re rewarded with gifts from the Holy Spirit, Who is sealed within us as a guarantee of our inheritance (Ephe. 1:13-14). We then begin our journey, the balance of our life on Earth, while the Holy Spirit continues to teach us about our betrothed and helps us develop behavioral standards that are pleasing to Him.
As He does, we learn to our utter amazement that we have always been our Lord’s consuming desire,
That He lived so that we might come into existence and be set apart,
That He has longed for us to know how much He loves us,
That His every word and action were designed to bring us honor and express His devotion to us,
That He has dedicated Himself to us and covered all of our imperfections with His love, and
That He gave His life for us.
For His part the Lord is even now building a house for us. “You trust in God; trust also in me,“ He said. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3) He has sworn on oath to return for us when the wedding preparations are complete and take us to His Father’s house, to the place He’s been preparing for us.
Soon And Very Soon
One day when we least expect it, He’ll come like a thief in the night and spirit us away to our new home. For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so will we be with the Lord forever. (1 Thes. 4:16-17).
In Heaven the King and His Bride will be hidden away in our rooms, while on Earth the last seven years of human history unfold. (Isa. 26:19-20) At the end, following the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9), we’ll return to Earth together to rule and reign for 1000 years, and then it’s off to our eternal life with Him. Praise the Lord. Selah 08-22-09
This Week’s Feature Article by Jack Kelley
This is an update of an article originally published in March 2004. While it’s based on the Bible, it also includes Jewish wedding traditions from Biblical times. Some of these traditions go all the way back to Abraham’s time and are described in Genesis 24.
Birth of a Tradition
Abraham was getting old and Sarah had died, so he sent his chief servant to the land of his brother to get a wife for Isaac. The servant loaded up 10 camels with gifts and set off. After some time he arrived in the village of Abraham’s brother Nahor. Approaching a young woman near a well, he asked for a drink, in accordance with a plan he had devised with the Lord. When she offered to draw water for his camels as well, he recognized the confirming sign he had asked for and accompanied her to her home.
That evening he asked her family for permission to take the young woman, whose name was Rebekah, back home to be the bride of his master’s son Isaac. Using the gifts to reward her and compensate the family for the loss of their daughter, he said he wanted to leave immediately. When Rebekah’s father turned to her for final approval, she agreed and they set off the next morning. After several days travel during which the servant told her all about her betrothed, they arrived at Isaac’s home where she met him for the first time. That very evening Isaac and Rebekah were married.
That’s The Way It Goes
Members of royalty often followed a procedure very similar to this in obtaining brides for their sons, sometimes arranging them years in advance of the actual event. Common people also adopted this method, but of course with them the prospective groom acted on his own behalf rather than sending someone in his stead.
Even today in some Middle Eastern cultures arranged marriages are common, with the groom’s mother selecting a bride for her son. The logic here is that a young man’s mother knows her son and his temperament better than anyone and can most accurately predict what kind of woman would please him. On one of our trips to Israel and Jordan, our Jordanian guide told us that his marriage had been arranged in this way and he was very happy with his mother’s selection.
Back To Biblical Times
In those days when a man took a liking to a young woman, he approached her father to ask for her hand in marriage. Due to the prevailing economic conditions back then, it took a long time for a man to become financially stable enough to think about starting a family. When he did, he looked for a bride young enough to bear him many children. So while the man in these cases could be in his thirties, the potential bride would often still be a teenager and would need her father’s permission to marry.
Inviting the man into their home, the young woman’s parents sat down with him around a table while she brought wine and four cups. After she had poured each of them (but not herself) a cup of wine, she listened while this man, who she was meeting for the very first time, described his assets, skills and other qualities that made him a desirable mate. A brief negotiation followed where the price he would have to pay as compensation for the family’s loss of their daughter was determined. It was called the bride price.
If the two men reached an agreeable amount all eyes turned to the daughter who had been listening intently to the entire discussion. She now had to decide if she would take this man to be her husband. If she turned her empty cup upside down, the man went away never to return. But if she filled her cup and took a sip of the wine, she was agreeing to become his wife.
At that point they signed a betrothal agreement, wherein the man promised on oath to return for the young woman when all the wedding preparations were complete. Now they were officially engaged and the relationship could only be terminated by a divorce. He went away to build a home for them on family property next to his father’s house. This could take some time, and the couple rarely met again until the father of the groom pronounced the newly built home fit for habitation. Only then was the wedding date set, and the man given permission by his father to go collect his bride for the wedding.
During this time the young woman was to watch and wait at her parents’ home. She and her bridesmaids had to maintain a constant state of preparedness, since the wedding date would not be revealed to her until the bridegroom actually appeared at her door to take her to their new home.
Surprise, Surprise
For his part, the groom would try to show up unexpectedly to surprise her, carrying her off suddenly “like a thief in the night” when no one would see them. The only advance warning she would get was the sound of his voice shouting her name and the blast of a ram’s horn.
When the bridesmaids discovered that the bride had been “spirited away” they would organize a great torch-lit procession, going throughout the whole town announcing that the wedding banquet was soon to begin. The banquet typically capped off a seven-day celebration during which the bride and groom were hidden away in their private rooms while the whole town made merry. Then they reappeared at the banquet to receive the congratulations of their friends and family, and their married life officially began. The father of the groom picked up the tab for all the festivities.
Maybe you’re beginning to see the similarities. The Lord Jesus, being royalty, does not come directly seeking His bride. His Father sends an unnamed servant on His behalf, just like Abraham did. This servant of course is the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, Who beckons us. Interestingly, the name of Abraham’s servant was Eliezer, which translates “God is my Comforter.” And even more so, in Genesis 24 Eliezer’s name is never mentioned, as if he’s serving as a model of the Holy Spirit, Whose name is also withheld from us.
The role of the Holy Spirit is to extol the virtues of the Son of God, Who when told that the Bride price was nothing less than His own shed blood, agreed to die for us, and for the joy set before Him endured the cross. (Hebr. 12:2). His last word from the cross, recorded in John 19:30, was tetelesti, a Greek word that’s been translated “It is finished.” In the Lord’s time it was a legal term that literally meant, “Paid in full”, It was written across paid invoices and prison documents upon release of prisoners who had served their full terms, and had therefore paid their debt to society. With His death Jesus paid the price in full for His bride.
Who Loves You?
At the Last Supper Jesus had hoisted His cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor. 11:25). When we first “take the cup” we’re signifying that we’re officially betrothed, and we’re rewarded with gifts from the Holy Spirit, Who is sealed within us as a guarantee of our inheritance (Ephe. 1:13-14). We then begin our journey, the balance of our life on Earth, while the Holy Spirit continues to teach us about our betrothed and helps us develop behavioral standards that are pleasing to Him.
As He does, we learn to our utter amazement that we have always been our Lord’s consuming desire,
That He lived so that we might come into existence and be set apart,
That He has longed for us to know how much He loves us,
That His every word and action were designed to bring us honor and express His devotion to us,
That He has dedicated Himself to us and covered all of our imperfections with His love, and
That He gave His life for us.
For His part the Lord is even now building a house for us. “You trust in God; trust also in me,“ He said. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3) He has sworn on oath to return for us when the wedding preparations are complete and take us to His Father’s house, to the place He’s been preparing for us.
Soon And Very Soon
One day when we least expect it, He’ll come like a thief in the night and spirit us away to our new home. For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so will we be with the Lord forever. (1 Thes. 4:16-17).
In Heaven the King and His Bride will be hidden away in our rooms, while on Earth the last seven years of human history unfold. (Isa. 26:19-20) At the end, following the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9), we’ll return to Earth together to rule and reign for 1000 years, and then it’s off to our eternal life with Him. Praise the Lord. Selah 08-22-09
Selasa, 25 Agustus 2009
Just another day in Israel
If you read the Jerusalem Post, or any of the other main publications in Israel, you will see the same news that we find today. This kind of news won't be seen in the U.S., as such news doesn't fit with the anti-Israel agenda of both the main stream media or the current administration:
"Two mortar shells strike kibbutz near Ashkelon; one lightly hurt"
and
"Soldier Wounded in Mortar Attack, Terrorist Killed"
Just another day in Israel; missiles fired from Gaza or southern Lebanon into Israel, intended to terrorize the citizens of Israel. The world turns and looks away. However, when Israel decides to take action with attempts to destroy such missile launching facilities - they are typically accused of "bloodshed" or killing "innocent settlers" in or around these missile launching bases.
If the news IS carried by the U.S. media, the focus will be centered on the fact that these missiles are inefficient, and "usually" don't hit or kill Israeli citizens. This is supposed to somehow make it "OK" and not newsworthy. Imagine the U.S. response if terrorists were embedded around the Mexican border, and they launched missiles into U.S. cities such as San Diego on a daily basis. But hey, this is Israel, so who cares?
Its important to note these missile attacks before an Israeli response. Because we'll all see any Israeli response on the nightly news, as we'll see how "horrible" Israel is, as they randomly and gleefully kill "innocent Palestinians" just for sport. Or so the media paints the situation.
The expectations of the "world" for Israel:
- Continue to allow the surrounding terrorists groups to send missiles into Israeli cities. Don't complain, don't fight back.
- Continue to "negotiate" with these exact same groups, so that they can have yet more Israeli land, and pretend that their agenda isn't to completely destroy Israel - while pretending that "land for peace" remains a viable option.
- Continue to ignore Iran's rapid obsession with nuclear weapons, and "trust" that the international community will successfully "negotiate" with Iran.
Another day in Israel; more missiles sent into Israel. Just turn your heads and look away - after all only one soldier was injured, so whats the big deal?
And while we're at it, why is Israel so reluctant to give away more land? Don't they want peace? If they JUST give up the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Jerusalem, THEN we'll see peace in the Middle-East.
Such actions would effectively take the region back to the coveted "pre-1967" borders. That is, the borders that existed prior to the 1967 invasion of Israel by surrounding terrorist-backed states, when Israel fought back (how DARE them) and in the process of defending themselves during this invasion/war, took back these land areas.
If Israel will JUST do this one simple act - giving this land back, then all will be well. Peace will be assured.
As a simple-minded person, I just have one question. If Israel gives up this land (West Bank, Golan Heights, Jerusalem), effectively going back to the "pre-1967" borders, in efforts to create permanent peace -----> then I have to ask this obvious question.
Why did these groups invade Israel in 1967 when they DID have these borders?
Hmmmmmmm....
"Two mortar shells strike kibbutz near Ashkelon; one lightly hurt"
and
"Soldier Wounded in Mortar Attack, Terrorist Killed"
Just another day in Israel; missiles fired from Gaza or southern Lebanon into Israel, intended to terrorize the citizens of Israel. The world turns and looks away. However, when Israel decides to take action with attempts to destroy such missile launching facilities - they are typically accused of "bloodshed" or killing "innocent settlers" in or around these missile launching bases.
If the news IS carried by the U.S. media, the focus will be centered on the fact that these missiles are inefficient, and "usually" don't hit or kill Israeli citizens. This is supposed to somehow make it "OK" and not newsworthy. Imagine the U.S. response if terrorists were embedded around the Mexican border, and they launched missiles into U.S. cities such as San Diego on a daily basis. But hey, this is Israel, so who cares?
Its important to note these missile attacks before an Israeli response. Because we'll all see any Israeli response on the nightly news, as we'll see how "horrible" Israel is, as they randomly and gleefully kill "innocent Palestinians" just for sport. Or so the media paints the situation.
The expectations of the "world" for Israel:
- Continue to allow the surrounding terrorists groups to send missiles into Israeli cities. Don't complain, don't fight back.
- Continue to "negotiate" with these exact same groups, so that they can have yet more Israeli land, and pretend that their agenda isn't to completely destroy Israel - while pretending that "land for peace" remains a viable option.
- Continue to ignore Iran's rapid obsession with nuclear weapons, and "trust" that the international community will successfully "negotiate" with Iran.
Another day in Israel; more missiles sent into Israel. Just turn your heads and look away - after all only one soldier was injured, so whats the big deal?
And while we're at it, why is Israel so reluctant to give away more land? Don't they want peace? If they JUST give up the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Jerusalem, THEN we'll see peace in the Middle-East.
Such actions would effectively take the region back to the coveted "pre-1967" borders. That is, the borders that existed prior to the 1967 invasion of Israel by surrounding terrorist-backed states, when Israel fought back (how DARE them) and in the process of defending themselves during this invasion/war, took back these land areas.
If Israel will JUST do this one simple act - giving this land back, then all will be well. Peace will be assured.
As a simple-minded person, I just have one question. If Israel gives up this land (West Bank, Golan Heights, Jerusalem), effectively going back to the "pre-1967" borders, in efforts to create permanent peace -----> then I have to ask this obvious question.
Why did these groups invade Israel in 1967 when they DID have these borders?
Hmmmmmmm....
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